Professor Layton and the Golden Trio
by TheBFG
Summary: What happens when the famous scholar meets up with the Boy Who Lived? This takes place after Deathly Hallows and after Unwound Future  when Professor Layton solves Luke's mystery and they return to London . Please review after you're done. Voila... enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE GOLDEN TRIO**

It was raining outside. Luke Triton was devouring an English muffin, thinking:

_**What does a basketball player who can't recognize the eleventh and twentieth letters of the alphabet call himself?**_

Well, this was one odd puzzle, requiring no math or science at all. A friend had given Luke this riddle, and Luke was determined to solve it.

Hmm, the riddle itself sounds very straightforward. The eleventh letter of the alphabet is "K", and the twentieth is "T". A basketball… basket… that's it! Basket has a K and a T in it, and since the basketball player can't recognize them, he'll just ignore them. So, basket without a K and a T gives you base, which then adds on to ball…

"IT'S A BASEBALL PLAYER!" Luke shouted.

Professor Hershel Layton, an archeologist and world famous puzzle solver, opened the door and asked: "Is everything quite alright, my boy?"

"No, err, professor; I just… solved a puzzle."

"Luke, you do know that you were supposed to be doing your homework."

"Ah, I've finished that _ages_ ago."

The professor chuckled. "Even your grammar?"

"Check!"

"Reading?"

"Check!"

"Extra math homework I received in the mail?"

"HUH?"

Layton smiled. "I'm just joking, of course. Would you care for some tea?"

Luke stood up, face lit up. "Would I ever!"

The professor and his apprentice walked into the living room and sat down.

"So, tell me of your… puzzle," The professor said curiously.

"All right," Luke said. "Here it goes…"

_**"What does a basketball player who can't recognize the eleventh**__-_mm… this tea is so sweet!-_**and twentieth letters of the alphabet call himself?"**_

__The professor nudged his hat and grinned slightly. "This is one peculiar puzzle. Is it from one of your classmates?"

Luke gaped. "How did you know?"

"It has a funny, ah, _taste_ to it."

"That's all very nice. Have you solved it? Have you? Have you now? Have-"

"Now, Luke, a gentleman never tries to hasten another fellow in the middle of his thinking. By the way… it's a baseball player."

Luke sipped his tea. "I suppose this wasn't that hard, now was it?"

At the same time, three friends sat at a table, discussing something important.

"Ron!" Harry Potter, a boy of eighteen years old, pushed his glasses up to his nose. "You're making it snow again! You're not a sixth year in Hogwarts anymore!"

"Sorry… bloody wand… I need to replace this load of dung, serious." Ronald Weasley shook his head as he put a dirty old wand back into his pocket. "Hey Hermione, what did you want to tell us?"

"Well, do you remember the Elder Wand?" The girl named Hermione Granger leaned forward in her chair.

"'Course," Harry answered. "Why?"

"Yeah, why?" Ron questioned.

"Well…" Hermione whispered. "It went missing."

"WHAT?" Harry and Ron shouted simultaneously. Sparks flew from their wands.

Luckily, they were indoors in a former secret headquarters called Grimmauld Place, Number Twelve. No one heard the commotion. No one with an exception of a small creature named… Kreacher.

"Master Potter, Master Weasley, Mistress Granger… is there anything I can do?" the old house elf smiled in greeting. He really was different from before.

"Err, thanks, Kreacher. We'll go for some tea," Harry said.

"Master Potter says he wants tea. Master Weasley? Mistress Granger?"

"Tea for all of us, please!" Hermione said politely.

"Hey, I wanted some butterbeer!" Ron protested.

"If Master Weasley wishes for butterbeer, he may have it." Kreacher started towards the kitchen.

"Okay, back to business," Harry said. "You said the Elder Wand went missing?"

"Precisely!" Hermione nodded.

"So… do we have to find it?" Ron asked.

Harry and Hermione looked at him, unimpressed.

"I take that as a yes…" Ron said.

"Not only do we have to find it…" Hermione continued as Kreacher served the drinks. Ron took the butterbeer and eyed Hermione. "We have to find out who stole it!"

Ron spewed butterbeer all over the ground. Kreacher set to work with a mop, as if he knew that would happen. The rest ignored Ron.

"Wait, so how are you sure someone _stole_ the wand?" Harry said. "Doesn't everyone know the wand only works for its current owner?"

"How are you sure it's not some dimwit who knocked it off the table and kicked it in half?" Ron crossed his arms.

All eyes on Ron. He covered his face with the butterbeer bottle.

"Don't mind me…" he muttered.

"DEEELICIOUS!" Luke announced. "I just love how sweet this tea is, Professor!"

"Yes," Professor Layton smiled. "It's a bit sweet for my taste, but I can understand why many children enjoy it."

"Look! I can drink a whole pot of this stuff!" Luke laughed gleefully. "Just watch me!"

"Ha ha; I see you've got quite the sweet tooth, Luke," the professor chuckled. "Just be careful not to drink too fast."

The professor poured some more Oasis Berry tea into Luke's teacup and handed it to him. However, Luke didn't notice.

"Hmm?" the scholar turned his head to where Luke was looking, outside the window. There were three people discussing something important.

"Luke, a gentleman never minds another's business." Layton reminded Luke. Luke stayed still.

"Luke, what is it?" Layton turned his head again. The dark- haired man with the round glasses was holding an old map. The red- haired man was waving a stick of some sort and the lady was holding three cones of ice cream.

Later, the red- haired man said something and the rain gradually stopped. The puzzle fanatics stared, dumbfounded.

Without the constant patter of the rain, Layton could hear much easier.

"… The Elder Wand!" the lady said, handing each of the men an ice cream cone and keeping one for herself. Until then, Luke was almost sure adults don't eat ice cream.

The black- haired man said something as well. "But Hermione, where can we find Dumbledore? Oh, right, the portrait in Hogwarts."

"Yeah, that's right, the moving one in his office!" the red- haired man remembered.

It was too much to take in at the moment. Luke leapt off the armchair and ran out the door. He was heading for the three people. Professor Layton sighed. Looking outside again, the professor noticed that there was something different. The streets were cleaner, for instance, and an unusual car drove by.

All of a sudden, a copy of the daily newspaper slid in. Layton picked it up and it read:

"March 21st, 1999."

He chased after Luke and headed in the same direction.

"Curious…" he murmured to himself.

"So, this Layton figure looks pretty smart," Ron said.

"Hi to you too, Mr. Obvious!" Hermione said, impatient. "He's a genius in the Muggle world! His black top hat is known everywhere! He's…"

"...Right there!" Harry pointed.

A tall man in a top hat and a coat came over.

"Excuse me," the man said. "I am Hershel Layton. What is the date today?"

Hermione gasped. Harry slapped his forehead. Ron didn't know how to react, so he just kept quiet.

"Today is March the 21st." Hermione answered, but she was thinking of a different subject. "You're Hershel Layton, you say? Where's your apprentice?"

"Professor!" They heard a voice call out. "Professor, wait up!"

A boy dressed in blue arrived at the table.

Hermione had nothing to say.

Harry laughed nervously. "This, err, is Ron Weasley. She is Hermione Granger. I am Harry Potter."

The professor shook everyone's hand in a gentlemanly manner. "You know me, Hershel Layton. This is my…"

"I am his number- one apprentice, Luke!" The boy in blue cut the professor off.

"May I assist you in any way?" Layton asked politely.

Hermione looked around cautiously and said, "Can we talk somewhere else?"

Professor Layton nodded, not sure what was to happen next. "But of course."

Luke looked up at his mentor. His mentor looked down at him.

"Let's go and see what we can find out," the professor said.

"Okay, if you insist," Luke swallowed.

"Luke, there is nothing to worry about," the archeologist said, straightening his black top hat. "These are friendly people."

They looked up. The three were gone.

"Harry?" Luke called. "Ron? What's- her- name?"

"It's Hermione," Layton said helpfully.

"Hermione… where is everyone?" Luke scratched his head, confused and a little scared.

"Now, Luke, think of this as a puzzle," Layton advised. "There are three ways we may go. We have to figure out which way the two gentlemen and the lady went. Are you up to the challenge, Luke?"

"I'm on it, Professor!" Luke took out a small journal and began writing.

_**A mouse wrapping its tail around a stick.**_

_**Cats stalking prey.**_ **The Four Paths** _**A parrot clutching a coin.**_

**|x|**

_**A hamster eating an apple.**_

(**The four double- lines represent the paths, and the labels tell what is in each path. "x" represents the professor and Luke)**

Luke thought for a long moment.

All paths are equally possible, so what could be the answer?

"Professor, I'm stuck on this one," Luke said, shaking his head.

"Luke, look for something that is suspicious. I'm sure you can see it too," the professor hinted.

Luke looked again. Immediately, he saw the stick and the mouse.

"That's the stick Ron was holding!" Luke exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes," Professor Layton said. "Well done Luke!"

The two headed down the path in front of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Ron, it worked!" Harry said with excitement. "We've successfully transported Layton and his apprentice to _our present_!"

"However," Hermione said. "We must make sure there aren't any complications. This is just like apparating. If we did one bit of the spell wrong, well, the result can be pretty nasty. They could lose a toe, for example, or something similar."

"Well, the people seemed intact enough to me!" Ron said.

"Charming, Ronald," Hermione said sarcastically.

"Or, other people from that time might be transported here as well," Harry remembered.

"Harry, don't even bring that up," Ron said. "Hermione's starting to fuss already. Remember that time when she said 'Merlin's trousers' or something?"

"Merlin's pants." Harry corrected.

"Both of you!" Hermione gasped, looking at the old map Harry was holding earlier. "Listen. Someone other than Layton and Luke _has_ been transported here. He's named Andrew Schrader. He's in Hogwarts Castle!"

_"Where am I?" Andrew Schrader scratched his head. "There must be a logical solution to this. I was in my apartment just a minute ago. Now I'm in this gigantic castle. Ooh, it must be the whojiwhatsit! The thingamawhizzer… Oh, I've forgotten it completely! _

"Professor!" Luke said. "It seems like there's no end to this road."

"Yes, Luke, it feels that way. However, that is most definitely impossible," Layton replied.

"You are right," Luke agreed. "What if this was a puzzle, too?"

"That's it!" Layton smiled. "This must be another puzzle. I have a feeling these puzzles were deliberately placed to test us."

"But how should we figure this out, Professor?" Luke asked, perplexed.

"I'll take care of it," The professor said with a curious expression.

Layton looked around his surroundings. There was an occasional poster here and there on the wall to their left, and on each of them, there was a funny set of numbers.

"26- 15- 15."

"19- 3- 8- 15- 15- 12."

"2- 15- 15- 11- 19- 8- 15- 16."

"20- 8- 9- 19 23- 1- 25 15- 21- 20."

"3- 1- 6- 5."

Numbers… code… number code… words… letters… alphabet…

Once again, Professor Layton lives up to his reputation.

"This is a code to represent the alphabet," Layton deducted. "Each number represents a letter's place in the alphabet, which I knew because the highest number mentioned is 26. There are twenty- six letters in the alphabet. This couldn't be a coincidence."

Luke stared in awe.

"So, with that being said," the scholar continued. "The first numbers mean 'zoo'. Can you continue from there, Luke?"

"I'll start with the shortest, then," Luke decided. "The last one is 'café'. The second is… 'school'! That's right, and the third is, hmm… 'bookshop'! And the last is… 'THIS WAY OUT'!"

"That's correct, my boy. Well done!" Layton congratulated.

"Only problem is, how do we get through?" Luke asked.

"Simple: I'll rip the poster off, and you'll see," Layton said.

Professor Layton slowly took the poster off the wall. Slowly, a puzzle monitor with a red screen appeared.

"Oh, no!" Luke groaned. "Not a puzzle monitor."

"Beep…" said the monitor.

"It seems that we must have solved three puzzles today to pass," Layton said.

"But we've only solved two!" Luke pointed out glumly.

"You mean three. Don't forget the puzzle you were told by your classmate!" Layton corrected.

"Access- granted," beeped the monitor, now glowing green. It flipped to one side, and a handle appeared. Professor Layton pulled it with ease, revealing a small, metal drawer. Inside it laid three keys on a ring.

"Another puzzle…" Luke murmured. "I'll do it."

"Yes," Layton nodded. "This should be very easy for you."

Luke studied the keys with intense concentration. After a few moments, Luke's face turned into a quizzical expression.

"None of the keys are small enough to fit the keyhole!" Luke said while eyeing the thin slot next to the drawer.

"That is correct, my boy," Professor Layton said.

"What else can fit through the keyhole?" Luke wondered aloud. Then, the answer hit him.

"The ring, of course!" he exclaimed. He shoved the ring into the slot and turned it slowly.

Suddenly, the drawer was pushed out. It fell to the ground with a loud CLANG!

A window- sized hole appeared in the wall.

"I wonder…" Layton thought to himself.

"I can go through this hole," Luke noticed. "I'll go see what's on the other side."

"Be careful!" Layton called after him as he scrambled through.

As Luke wormed his way through the hole, Layton had time to think.

_There's something suspicious going on. First, there are unfamiliar surroundings._

"Hold on…" a muffled voice came from the hole in the wall.

_Second, there is a newspaper dated in the future._

"Halfway there!"

_Third, there are people with fantastic abilities such as putting a stopper in a storm._

"Nearly through,"

_ This is like the last mystery we had in London that includes time travel._

"Wait…"

_However, there is no time machine._

"Whoops!" Luke dropped his hat on the other side while hanging from the hole.

_There is no letter._

"I got through, Professor!"

_ There are only citizens with unthinkable abilities._

"I see a switch!"

_ Could they transport us through time?_

"The door's opening, Professor!"

_In other words, could this time paradox be real?_ Professor Layton thought as he stepped through the hidden door.

_Yes. It is real. We have been transported into the future, and a new mystery has begun._


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Have you heard about the recent disappearances?" Harry asked, holding a filthy but curiously designed newspaper named the Quibbler.

"Yes," Hermione said. "It was in the Muggle newspaper."

Ron looked around a bit, and something caught his attention.

"What sort of disappearances?" questioned Hershel Layton as he stepped out of the shadows, followed by Luke. Hermione looked shocked.

"You solved those puzzles in… ten minutes?" she spluttered.

"So," the tall archeologist said. "It was you who set the puzzles and the puzzle monitor."

"But… but…" Harry said, confused. "You were supposed to solve four puzzles on your way here!"

"Really?" Layton said amusedly. "I only saw three."

"Didn't you search for another puzzle when the puzzle monitor denied access to the other side?"

"Ah," the professor said. "Thanks to Luke, we had solved another puzzle just this morning… right before we were transported into the future!"

Luke tripped and fell on his back. Ron let out a surprised "bloody hell". Hermione was just as impressed.

"How did you figure it all out, Professor?" Luke said.

"Luke," Layton said. "Did you not notice the drastic changes in our surroundings? This is no longer the London we know.

"Further more, after we solved the last puzzle, there was quite a bit of technology going on to reveal the hidden door. True, scientists ten years before our time invented a somewhat successful time machine, but the technology we saw is astoundingly futuristic."

"But Professor…" Luke started.

"Luke, if it is a question… I think you can ask our three friends here."

Hermione was shockingly calm at this statement.

"I guess," she said slowly. "You've done your job. We knew you could not stay in the dark for long. I guess we will do our part by explaining the situation."

Ron gulped. "We-"

"-Are-" cut in Harry.

"-Wizards and witches." Hermione finished.

Layton chuckled. "There is no such thing as…"

His voice trailed off when Harry took out a smooth wooden rod, his wand, possibly, and levitated a nearby newspaper.

"Impossible." Layton frowned. "You couldn't have used magic to transport us here. Time travel is based on time dilation, when the end of a traversable wormhole is moved about. If there are two people at each end of the wormhole and they each have a clock, one clock would move slower than the other. The theory of relativity states that if traversable wormholes exist, they might allow time travel. One end is accelerated to a high velocity relative to the other. Then, a period of time later, the velocity is brought back.

"Therefore, since you are in the future, you must have used science to transport us to the future." Layton finally finished. Luke fought to hold back a yawn.

"Very impressive," Hermione said. "But apparently, that isn't the case."

"We transported you here by magic," Ron confirmed. "It's the truth!"

"You mean an insane suggestion of how we got here?" Luke said with a funny expression on his face.

"Then how would you explain… _this_!" Harry shoved the old map forward.

Professor Layton looked it over. In inked letters it said: _Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs proudly present… THE MARAUDER'S MAP_.

"Explain… _ANDREW SCHRADER_?" Layton exclaimed. A small icon that was labeled "ANDREW SCHRADER" floated around slowly on the map.

"Doctor Schrader?" Luke asked, open- mouthed.

"We don't know who he is…" Hermione admitted.

"But we are sure he came from your time." Harry said.

"Yes… he is my mentor," Layton explained, still quizzical. "What does this mean?"

"It means," Hermione said. "He is here at the moment, too. He was shot many decades into the future, just like you two."

"We did part of the spell wrong…" Ron mumbled. "We could have dislocated an arm… taken an eyebrow or something…"

"Uh…" Luke said smartly.

"So… magic is real?" Layton asked, speaking without his firm voice for the first time since he was with Claire, more than a decade ago. 

"Yes!" Harry said. "I mean… yes."

"Prove it!" Luke challenged.

"Okay," Harry said simply. "Tell me to do anything."

"Umm… can you burn a newspaper?"

"Sure."

Harry raised his wand and pointed it to a stray newspaper.

"_Incendio_," he pronounced softly.

The newspaper burst into flames, which danced around merrily.

"Uh…" Luke repeated.

"How can you prove," Layton said. "That your 'wand' isn't just a flamethrower device?"

"_Aguamenti._"

Ron used his wand to put the flames out by casting a jet of water into the fire.

"Or a water gun…" Luke added.

Hermione sighed.

"Maybe this will help you believe us."

She waved the wand at her uneaten ice cream cone (which, by the way, had melted quite a lot) and spoke another spell.

"_Declinemus tea_."

The ice cream cone turned in to cup of warm, fresh tea.

"Would you like some tea?" Hermione offered, though it was obvious that she was still just trying to convince them magic was real, not inviting them to refresh themselves or anything of the sort.

Professor Layton accepted it and took a sip.

"This is fabulous tea," Layton noted. "It almost makes me believe that magic is real."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"_Almost_?" he asked.

"Almost," Layton repeated.

"Fine." Harry took the teacup and placed it on a waste bin.

"_Geminio_."

The teacup was suddenly lit with a flash of white. Layton flinched, and when he opened his eyes, the teacup was multiplied into two.

"Wicked!" Luke shouted.

"So…" the professor swallowed. "I guess… magic is real."

Harry sighed with relief.

"I thought I'd never convince you!" he said.

Somewhere on the Hogwarts grounds, a dark shadow stirred. It loomed past Rubeus Hagrid's hut, past the large pumpkin patch where Firenze the centaur stood.

"_Give me the stone._"

"No!"

"_Give me the stone, and the boy lives."_

"Mr. Potter is fine on his own!"

"_THE STONE! I DEMAND THE STONE! HAND IT OVER!_"

"I don't know where it is, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

There was a pause.

"_So be it._"

The three, threatening words were the last that the wise centaur would hear before disaster struck the wizarding world.

"What did you need us for?" Luke asked, taking one of the cups of tea and drinking it.

"You probably overheard us," Harry said. "You heard us talking about the Elder Wand."

"Yes," the professor said. "We heard you mention it."

"Well, the Elder Wand is the most powerful wand in history," Hermione explained. "However, it only works for its owner. In this case, it's Harry."

"I refused to take it," Harry said. "I have my own wand. The Elder Wand was left at Hogwarts, the school where we learned magic, where its old master was taught, raised and became a teacher and the headmaster.

"His name was Dumbledore. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He was… murdered… a while ago, and the wand was passed down to his killer, Severus Snape. If Dumbledore had not been murdered, but had died one year later by a curse inflicted upon him, the wand would have lost its power for eternity. Severus was later killed by the darkest wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, whom I defeated. So, the wand is in my possession, and it only works for me.

"Recently, the wand was lost. It is very likely someone stole it. They don't seem to know that the Elder Wand works like any ordinary one for him or her. If they do, they will go out of their way to kill me and gain power."

Luke and Layton were stunned. It was enough to drive a man mad.

"Uh… what do we have to do with it?" Luke asked, though he knew the answer immediately after he spoke.

Hermione took a deep breath.

"You're going to have to help us solve this mystery."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

The professor had been involved in many cases, yet this was, by far, the strangest. But, no matter how strange it may be, the professor was as curious as always.

The group of five set off for the Leaky Cauldron, an inn for wizards and witches. Luke was literally bouncing with excitement.

"Wow, professor! Can you really believe that we're going to a hotel that has real wizards and witches in it?" Luke whispered. "It's amazing!"

"You don't seem as discombobulated as I thought you would be," Layton said. "Yes, it is quite the surprise."

"We are here!" Hermione said brightly.

The puzzle aficionados looked up and saw a dusty old sign, slightly waving in the wind. On it was engraved, "THE LEAKY CAULDRON". They all stepped into the inn.

The Leaky Cauldron was brightly lit on the inside. A long, wooden table sat right in the middle of the large room. On one side of the table there was a bar where they offered things such as firewhiskey, a very hot wizard whiskey, several different wines and beers, and butterbeer, a sweet, frothy drink that is served sometimes served hot.

"Five bottles of butterbeer, please!" Harry said at the bar. A short man hustled away and snatched five drinks, all cold because it wasn't winter anymore, and handed them to Harry.

"That would be ten sickles, then," the short bartender said.

"Sickles?" Layton asked.

"It's wizard money," Hermione said. "There are seventeen sickles in a Galleon, twenty- nine Knuts in a sickle, and four- hundred ninety- three Knuts in a Galleon. Each Galleon is equivalent to five pounds, or five- hundred pence."

Luke was very confused, so he just jotted it all down in his notebook.

Ron had to go help Harry carry the beverages while Layton, Luke and Hermione picked a spot and sat down. A few elderly wizards looked up from the paper and greeted the three while their wand stirred their tea. Luke waved back happily.

"Wands can stir tea better than me!" Luke exclaimed. "I need to get one!"

Hermione froze.

"You… wand… what if you were a wizard?"

Luke shrugged.

"Maybe I am!" he said casually. "Maybe I'm not."

Just then, Harry and Ron sat down by Hermione and handed each person a bottle of butterbeer.

Professor Layton accepted the drink and took a sip. So did Luke.

"Tasty!" Luke commented.

"I must admit, I have taken a liking to this," the professor said.

"Who doesn't?" Ron pointed out. "It's the best drink in the magical world."

"Harry, how about we buy a few bottles of pumpkin juice, in case we get thirsty?" Hermione suggested, eager to forget the possibility that Luke could be a wizard.

"Sure!" Harry agreed. "We can buy two bottles for Hershel and Luke."

"More drinks?" Luke asked. "YAY!"

"Luke, you must be as gentlemanly as possible on all occasions," the professor reminded him, smiling.

They finished the butterbeer and went up to the counter to purchase five bottles of pumpkin juice, which Hermione slipped into her bag with ease.

Luke was amazed by how the bottles fit into one, small bag.

"How did you do that?" he asked, astonished.

"I placed an undetectable Expanding Charm on it," Hermione explained. "I have quite a lot of things in here."

"Like what?"

Hermione took out a few books, her wand, another book, and when she pulled out a long piece of clothing, she paused.

"I think you'll like this," she said, handing the cloak- like object to Harry.

"Watch this," Harry said, grinning. He slipped the cloak on, and all of a sudden, he disappeared.

"Whoa!" Luke shouted.

A moment later, Harry reappeared in front of the bar, nearly giving the bartender a heart attack.

"Good Merlin!" the bartender yelled, clutching at his chest. "I hate charmed cloaks!"

"Whoops," Harry muttered. "I shouldn't have done that."

The dark shadow glided across the Hogwarts grounds, leaving the unconscious centaur lying on the ground. It started to quicken its pace, as it passed the entrance gate and entered Hogsmeade.

Quietly, the ghostly phantom crept into the Hog's Head.

_The pub has stayed the same since I came in here a thousand years ago, _the creature thought.

"Greetings, Salazar." A tall, slightly gaunt- faced man stepped into view.

As his identity was acknowledged, the ghost of Salazar Slytherin finally took a more specific form and shape. He stopped floating in mid- air and touched down on the floor soundlessly.

"_Draco Malfoy,_" Slytherin said, smiling. "_I knew you would remain loyal to the noble house of Slytherin._"

Malfoy trembled, though this went unnoticed by Slytherin.

"Y- y- yes, master," he spluttered, quivering even more.

"_Master?_" Slytherin raised his eyebrows. "_I am not your master. We are… equals._

"_After all, when all other Death Eaters were killed or when they retreated, you stood your ground after that idiot Harry Potter won the Second Wizarding War._"

Draco's fists clenched for some reason. Slytherin, again, did not notice it.

"_I remember Tom Marvolo Riddle. Or, rather, Lord Voldemort. Oh, the fool, he thought making several tiny, pathetic Horcruxes would make him immortal. No, I am after something much, much bigger._"

It suddenly occurred to Malfoy what this thing just might be, and why he, of all people, was destined to be the great Salazar Slytherin's evil apprentice and follower.

More even, Malfoy was afraid that he could do Slytherin no good whatsoever and he could be of no help.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, the professor and Luke walked out of the Leaky Cauldron, though through a different door. In seconds, Layton and Luke found themselves in front of a large brick wall.

Harry whipped out his wand and tapped certain bricks on the strange barrier. Luke heard a rumbling sound.

"Hey look, professor!" Luke exclaimed. "The wall is moving!"

There was a flash of blinding light. Professor Layton shielded his eyes. When he opened them again, the wall had gone, and instead there was a long path that twisted and winded its way down a bustling street full of shops, animals and, of course, wizards and witches.

"This is so cool!" Luke yelled in excitement. He spun around. "Professor, we've got to check this out!"

The professor was just as excited, though he kept his steady reputation as the perfect English gentleman by merely smiling and saying: "All right, if you insist."

Hermione reached out to stop them, intending to warn them how it was vital to stay on task. However, Harry pulled her sleeve and said: "No, it's fine to let them explore a bit. It'll save us a lot of explaining as well."

Ron agreed and said: "Yeah. Hey, Harry, have you noticed the disappearing people in the paper were the people who were closest to you leading up to the Final Battle?"

Harry stiffened. The Final Battle was a touchy subject for him, for he had lost so many friends and loved ones in there.

"…Really?" he asked through gritted teeth. His eyes were on Luke, happily skipping and hopping around, carefree like Harry when he was the same age. Oh, how he longed for those days, when Dudley fell through the glass in the reptile exhibit at the zoo, how he slept in the tiny cupboard under the stairs, how he didn't have this heavy burden to protect the world.

Ron looked at Luke, too, trying to think things through clearly before he made Harry lose his mind or something. He knew how much Harry hated it when people disappeared, were hurt or died because of him. But how could this be because of him? Harry always blamed himself for everything. Ron just changed the subject.

"Well, witnesses say that for a short time after the victim disappears, they always saw an ominous black shadow lingering there before disappearing as well," Ron said.

Harry didn't look so angry anymore. Instead, he looked a bit anxious.

"Your point?"

Ron drew in a deep breath.

"I think it…. it could be… I think it could be a new dark wizard."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Luke's mouth was stuffed with chocolate. It was stuffed with chocolate frogs, to be exact.

"This is great!" Luke laughed. "I want another one!"

"Luke," the professor said sternly. "That was your seventh chocolate frog. You have a bunch of wizard cards, and you're not going to be able to sleep tonight. You…"

"…can _definitely_ have another one," Harry finished, handing him an eighth helping. Luke opened the lid, but as soon as he did, the chocolate frog escaped by leaping from its former home.

Harry raised his wand and shouted, "_Impedimenta_!"

The spell chased after the running treat, which, at the time, was planning its escape route, and was hit. However, merely brushing past its side, the spell did not work very well. Instead, the chocolate frog just started limping on three legs, hopping back into the candy store where it came from, previously purchased in a box and now free of its "prison".

Upon seeing so many people, the chocolate frog made a hasty retreat and started towards a broom shop. Ron ran after it, while Luke was simply stunned, for he didn't know he had seven bewitched sweets in his mouth before now. Harry and Hermione repeatedly sent jinxes and spells flying through the crowds of wizards and witches.

For a certain time now, there were several onlookers who were cheering. Ignoring them, Professor Layton thought of this as a puzzle about how to get the frog and how to get it back edible.

"Ugh," Luke said, his face looking rather disgusted as the chocolate frog ran into a bucket of beetle eyes. "I don't think I want that anymore."

Okay, so just to catch it. What is chocolate afraid of? Of course, heat.

Layton ran into Flourish and Blotts and grabbed a spellbook. Flipping through, he found a fire spell, "Incendio".

"Use Incendio!" Layton yelled.

"_Incendio Maxima_!" Harry spoke clearly.

The frog was behind a pile of cauldrons near Wisacre's Wizard Wears, croaking desperately for help. The wild flames from Harry's wand completely melted the metal pots (thank Merlin there weren't any silver or gold pots there), which took the full blast. The frog tried to run away again, but its feet melted just a moment ago, presumably because of the hot, stone pavement. It was now unable to move.

A triumphant Harry was about to put a jar over the frog, when he saw a rather large boy standing in front of him.

"Marcus Flint…" he muttered. Marcus Flint was once a rival of his in Quidditch.

"Burned a piece of chocolate?" he sneered. "I'd think it was the chocolate that burned you!"

"Shut up, Flint," Harry said. "Have you nothing better to do than losing in Quidditch to a first year?"

Ron laughed in his face. When no one else did the same, his laughter became awkward sounds of something like a strangled chicken.

"Losing to a first year?" he said. "We'll see about that."

Flint summoned a broom from the broom shop with "Accio Nimbus 2008" (the newest Nimbus model so far). Harry chose a different kind, the Thunderbolt, an improvement of the Firebolt. Clearly, Marcus Flint was challenging Harry to a flying competition.

Flint stated the rules. "This competition is a duel on broomsticks. No Unforgivable Curses are permitted. All other spells are allowed. Are you ready for a serious beating, Potter?"

"Are you ready to be afraid of heights for the rest of your life, Flint?" Harry returned.

The onlookers started cracking up with laughter, but Flint told them to shut up and cast "Petrificus Totalus", the body- binding spell, on each of them.

"Let's begin," Flint said, and the two took off rapidly, knocking another pile of cauldrons over. The chocolate frog leapt out from behind that, croaking indignantly. Its feet had somehow come free of the ground (though it could hop and move, its feet still looked like mini pancakes due to the "Incendio Maxima" spell) and Luke, forgetting everything else, continued the chase. Ron, Hermione and Professor Layton could not chase after Harry due to his whopping speed of eighty miles per hour, and they could not apparate because they didn't know where the two old adversaries were heading. Also, they did not see Luke go because of his small size. So, worried and surprised as they were, they still could do nothing but wait.

Marcus Flint had gotten much better at Quidditch in the past few years. The Nimbus 2008 was, however, was still too high in quality for his skills. On the other hand, the Thunderbolt was perfect for Harry. Its speed and agility was easily matched by Harry's reputation of being flawless in the air.

Flint weaved through a maze of trees as Harry beside him, dodging the many jinxes Flint had sent from his wand.

"_Stupefy_!" Harry shouted. A jet of red light hit Flint in the shoulder.

Flint's path was slightly disturbed as he flew half- consciously. Harry took the chance to knock him off his broom, but Flint still had the ability to cast "Rictumsempra", the tickling jinx, at Harry.

"_Protego_!" Harry said to protect himself. A blue shield reflected the jinx, which hit a nearby boulder.

Flint had regained control just in time to dodge another tree as Harry sped ahead of him. Gritting his teeth, he did his best to catch up.

Harry looked back. Flint had flown higher, barely visible and above the trees. Quickly, Harry rose too.

Flint saw Harry was rising directly beneath him, so he did a flip to the side. Harry swerved in his direction, smooth as an eagle. He raised his wand and shouted, "_Expulso_!"

Flint started jerking all over the place as a whole slur of spells hit him. He descended in haste to escape.

This was all very familiar to Harry. He imagined Flint as the Golden Snitch, wings fluttering like a hummingbird, making a swift retreat. This moment, he prepared to make the dive.

The trees gave way to a grassy, open plain- it was just right for the situation. Harry thought it was like a Quidditch field. Everything was to his advantage right now.

Flint, unaware that his pursuer was now very capable of catching him, laughed like a maniac. He looked back to cast a spell, when he saw that Harry Potter was pointing his wand at his head, showing that he was not only capable of catching him, but additionally, the fact that he already did.

Luke ran through the packed woods as the chocolate frog hopped over a small plant of some sort.

"Come back here!" Luke laughed with glee. The bewitched chocolate didn't seem like it wanted to share his happiness. It groaned with despair each time Luke gained on it and croaked with relief when he tripped over a stone or branch.

To the chocolate frog, Luke never seemed to get tired. To Luke, the chocolate frog never seemed to get tired.

Eventually, the pursuer and the pursued, the cat and the mouse, the boy and the chocolate frog, emerged from the trees. The frog escaped by leaping behind a bush.

Luke searched for a long while, using the small patches of melted chocolate as a trail. At last, the footprints led him to two people, each holding a broomstick.

"Harry!" he automatically thought.

The other man, who Luke did not recognize (he was not paying much attention to the situation before now), said something Luke couldn't hear. Soon enough, though, he knew the meaning of his unheard words.

Three cloaked wizards stepped out of thee trees, wands raised and ready to duel to the death.

Flint started laughing again.

"Did you actually think I would lure you here for nothing?" he asked, eyes glinting with malice. "No, Potter, I have brought you here so you can meet your fate!"

Harry did not know exactly what his fate was supposed to be, but since it was coming from a Slytherin, it couldn't be good.

"What do you have in mind, Flint?" he asked. "Are you planning to use your teddy bear to make me laugh to death?"

His expression faltered.

"How did you know about that?" he demanded.

Harry's expression changed too.

"Wait, you actually have a teddy bear?" he said, trying his hardest not to burst out laughing.

"Not that it matters!" Flint said defensively, trying to change the subject. "No, I will not make you laugh to death, I will kill you in a duel!"

"Not likely, really," Harry said, cleaning his glasses on his shirt and yawning.

"Not likely? We'll see about that, Gryffindor _loser_. The name of Salazar Slytherin is not to be dishonored by some fool like you, Potter, and I will do what the Dark Lord failed to do! I will…"

"Get to the point," Harry advised wisely. He was now reading the Daily Prophet.

"Fine then- come on out!"

This caught Harry's attention. Out from the trees came three evil wizards.

Flint cracked his knuckles.

"Did you think you were the only one who can think up a plan?" he questioned. "Did you think you were the only one to win a duel?" He spat on the ground. Then, his mouth curved into a wicked grin.

"Time to reconsider, _Potter_!"

"_Stupefy_!"

Harry ducked just in time to dodge three spells. He ran over to a boulder and hid behind it as one wizard cast "Crucio", one of the Unforgivable Curses.

The other two wizards ran in front of Harry and attempted to hex him. Harry slid between them and cast Leg- Locker Jinx on each of them, causing them to slip, then fall, and fail to get up.

Harry stood up, but Marcus Flint held his wand at his throat.

"You're done for, Pot-"

"_Petrificus Totalus_!"

He froze and tipped forward as his wand dropped. Harry quickly shuffled aside. Flint landed on the ground face- first, his body as stiff and rigid as a wooden board.

Harry raised his eyes to the attacker.

Hermione, Ron and Professor Layton stood nearly as stiff as Flint, shocked. Hermione lacked of a wand.

It was Luke Triton, a wand of vine wood tightly gripped in his hands.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

The remaining dark wizard fled from the scene, his cloak waving behind him. Harry and the others watched as the wizard made a fool of himself by tearing his cloak on a branch, then sidling into the forest in embarrassment.

Then, Harry turned to Luke.

"You… you cast a spell… you're a… you're a…"

"…muggle- born wizard, like me," Hermione said as if it had been a secret between her and Luke the whole time. Then, she added, "Additionally, that's a stone and that's a chocolate frog. Are you up to date now?"

"IT'S THE CHOCOLATE FROG!" Luke shrieked. He chased after the escaping sweet once more, and to his delight, he finally caught it.

"I got it! I got it I got it I got it!" he shouted. It seemed as if he was hyperventilating or something.

Ron was puzzled.

"Shouldn't you be happier by finding out you're a real wizard and capable of stupendous, extraordinary, amazing and mind- boggling abilities than simply catching a half- melted chocolate frog?" Ron asked quizzically. It was probably one of the smartest things he had said in his entire life.

Luke ignored him and calmed down. He threw the chocolate frog back into the woods due to its unfortunate adventure in the bucket of beetle eyes.

"There," he said with satisfaction. "No more distractions."

"So how," Ron inquired Hermione after he failed to get Luke's attention, "Did you know Luke was a wizard?"

"Didn't you notice?" she asked. "Like Harry, he is capable of using wand- less magic by focusing on one emotion. Remember when Harry inflated his Aunt Marge because he was angry at her for insulting his parents? Well, if you saw it, the logs, branches and stones literally hopped out of his way when he arrived. He felt desperate and haste to get here and save Harry. Then, he took my wand because he ran faster. If it weren't for Luke, who knows where Harry would be now…"

"Blimey," Ron said, since no other words came to his mind.

Professor Layton kept quiet, though anyone could tell he was thinking hard by his closed eyes. However, no one could tell what he was thinking about.

Harry, on the other hand, had recovered from his surprise and was thinking about how Luke could be very useful as an extra wizard.

Luke turned around, his back facing the tall, lush trees, asked, "What if the professor is a wizard?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. "It's a bit too late to find out if he has magical powers or not."

"Well, I would give it a shot anyway!" Luke said insistently.

Harry handed Professor Layton his wand.

"Try the spell… try _Lumos Solem_." He suggested.

"_Lumos Solem_!" Layton pronounced.

The tip of the wand flickered a little. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Luke were very excited.

"Do it again!" Luke said.

"_Lumos Solem_!" Layton said again, this time with a stronger tone.

Harry's wand of holly shined brightly as everything else seemed to become several shades darker when compared to the spell's results. It was a remarkable sight: Professor Hershel Layton, a man devoted to science, a man who did not believe in magic until today, and a man who was one of the most unlikely people on the planet to be a wizard, had just lit a wand so brightly that Luke had to shield his eyes.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other, silently agreeing on one thing.

"I suppose," Harry said. "We could teach you two a few spells before moving on. Hershel, Luke… welcome to magic!"

Draco Malfoy strolled down Knockturn Alley, pausing to gaze into Borgin and Burkes. The old shop was finally closed after the Dark Lord was vanquished and many cursed artifacts were confiscated, destroyed or taken away to the reestablished Ministry of Magic.

Malfoy remembered going into Borgin and Burkes with his father to sell dangerous items to hide from the Ministry. He remembered opening the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement, thinking of a way to get the Death Eaters into Hogwarts with the other Vanishing Cabinet here in the shop.

Malfoy felt something on his shoulder. He spun around, but there was nothing to be seen.

Ever since the Final Battle, Malfoy did not know why, but he was torn between the people his family was loyal to for so many generations and the people that defeated the Dark Lord. It seems that he decided to serve the dark side since he was "Slytherin's Equal". But with this decision, he felt as if a pair of cold eyes was always watching him, haunting him. He shivered, even though it was in the middle of summer.

If Malfoy were any average person, he would have regretted the choice he made. However, Malfoy is not any average person. He did not regret the choice he made.

That's because it was vital for his plan. A brilliant plan…

Marcus Flint groaned and rolled over. He found that he was lying on the ground after being hit by the body- binding spell. No surprise there.

Flint sat up slowly. His neck felt sore after being hit by "Expulso" so many times.

"Expulso". That's right; he needed to find his wand. He looked around the area, and to his dismay, it wasn't there.

"This is ridiculous!" he shouted in frustration. He paced around furiously. After a long time, all he could say was, "Curse you, Potter!" or "D*^ it!". Even a cricket could tell that he was really, _really_ angry.

He started running around in circles, screaming the whole time. He woke the two other wizards up.

One of the dark wizards found that not only Flint's wand was missing- his was too.

The other was able to keep his wand. He was the unluckiest of all.

Flint marched over to the only person out of the three that still had his wand.

"Gimme' that!" he ordered. The wizard shook his head.

"For twenty- six galleons?" Flint offered, annoyed.

The wizard stubbornly refused again.

Flint thought for a moment quietly. He decided to do what he did best and face- palmed the wizard. He took the wand. Predictable.

"Okay, Luke, say _Wingardium Leviosa_!" Harry instructed. Luke did as he was told.

The piece of grass Luke was trying to levitate flipped over.

"Try again- I'm sure you'll get it!" Ron encouraged.

Luke concentrated as hard as he could.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" he said. The grass flipped again.

"I know," Hermione said. "He's saying everything right- he's just not doing the swish and flick!"

"Swish and flick?" Luke asked curiously.

"Yes," she replied. "Like this."

Her hand made a sort of smile in the air and then twirled her wand around once.

Luke copied the movement and said the spell. Finally, the grass blade was lifted.

"Well done!" Harry praised.

The professor was trying to solve a puzzle. Harry had told him the "Expelliarmus" spell, or the disarming spell. The professor needed to know how to cast that spell- it was like a move he used in fencing.

"_Expelliarmus_!" he muttered.

Some kind of gas emerged from the tip of the wand. The professor frowned, unsatisfied.

"_Expelliarmus_!" he said again. Though smoke still billowed from his "borrowed" wand (Flint's wand, and Luke's wand is the evil wizard's wand) Layton could see a spark among the gray, depressing gas. He felt hope and tried again.

"_Expelliarmus_!" he pronounced for the third time.

The finally successful spell shot out of Layton's wand, zooming between a patch of grass.

Layton, feeling triumphant, walked over to where the others were.

Luke was practicing "Stupefy". It was a common spell, used by every witch and wizard in the world.

"_Stupefy_!" he shouted. The spell flew far into the distance and, to the five's surprise, hit something that let out a loud shriek.

"Someone's here!" Hermione hissed, careful not to let the person see or hear them.

The group of five settled behind a boulder to hide from what now seemed like many people.

"Are you sure that the caster was here?" one asked.

"Why does that voice sound so familiar?" Harry whispered.

"Shush it!" Ron said back, just as quiet.

"Yes," another person said. "And I can prove it."

"This can't be good…" Hermione muttered, shaking her head.

"_Homenum Revelio_!" the person shouted!

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luke and Layton certainly did not know what was going on at the moment, but Hermione did know that their presence was revealed. "Homenum Revelio" could tell you if there was a human being nearby.

"See?" The person said. "I told you they were here."

Luke and Layton stiffened.

Harry, Ron and Hermione leapt out from behind the rock. They scared some nearby wizards out of their wits, who fell unconscious.

Harry looked up. When he saw the leader of the gang, he stiffened, too.

"Lucius Malfoy…" he growled.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. Saving the day again aren't we? Why, I can't imagine what you could be up against? A rag doll, perhaps?"

"_Expelliarmus_!"

Lucius Malfoy's wand flew out of his hand.

"What in the blazes-" he began. When he looked up, he saw Professor Hershel Layton. Of course, he didn't know that he was looking at one of the smartest people that ever lived.

"Who are you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't seem to recognize you from the Order."

"Leave him out of this," Ron said, glaring at Draco Malfoy's father.

Lucius saw a small boy run behind the man.

"And who are you, you tiny, pathetic little boy?"

"Hey!" Luke protested.

Lucius Malfoy ignored him.

"So, as I have asked before, who are you?"

"I am Professor Hershel Layton," Layton replied.

"Professor, eh? What do you specialize in, may I ask?"

"Archeology," the professor answered. "And puzzles."

Lucius laughed out loud.

"Puzzles!" he shrieked. "You are one brilliant comedian, Professor Layton!"

The professor kept his cool.

"Yet it is not a joke." Layton said evenly. "Puzzles can be very useful, by the way."

"Sure," One of the other wizards sniggered.

"For example," Layton continued. "What do you do when you see the number five- hundred five?"

Lucius Malfoy shrugged, still shaking with laughter.

Layton smiled.

"You say S. O. S. and ask for help!"

Before Lucius could figure out what Layton was getting at, the professor spoke a spell.

"_Incarcerous_!"

Lucius Malfoy was suddenly bound with a long string of rope.

The other wizards immediately stopped laughing.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Lucius screeched. "Attack!"

The wizards ran forward, wands at the ready. Luke went to meet them along with Layton. Harry, Ron and Hermione split up and each took one wizard.

Harry cast "Rictumsempa" at his opponent's stomach, but he cast "Protego" and the tickling jinx bounced off.

At the same time, Hermione cast the "Jelly- Leg jinx", nonverbally, at her opponent. The dark wizard wobbled around until he could no longer stand, dropping his wand and unable to grab it back, for Hermione had kicked it away from him.

Ron was battling a person much larger than himself. Apparently, this wizard could punch, too.

Ron dodged about a half a dozen blows but slipped to one side and fell onto the ground. The wizard took advantage of this and began to speak the Cruciatus Curse. "_Cru_-"

Ron panicked and shouted, "_Levicorpus_!"

The large wizard was lifted into the air, hanging upside down as if a giant invisible fist was grasping him by the foot. Ron sat up and found another wand, the one Hermione had kicked away from its owner. He picked it up.

"_Stupefy_!" He said with both wands aiming towards the helpless wizard.

The hanging individual was blasted into the still bound Lucius Malfoy, who literally glowered at Ron in rage.

"Weasley _scum_! Pure- bloods, but traitors! I hate _all of you_!" he spat.

Ron forgot everything else. He was very defensive when someone insulted his family.

"Oh yeah?" he said. "What are you? You're a pure- blood, but a completely dimwitted freak who doesn't know when to shut up."

He kicked Lucius in the shin and said, "_Avis_… _Oppugno_!"

A flock of birds emerged from Ron's wand.

Lucius laughed. "Is that all you-"

He was stopped short, mid- sentence, for the birds formed a triangle and started speeding towards him.

The large wizard saw this, too, and ran away screaming about a nightmare he had when he was five coming true. Lucius Malfoy attempted to squirm away but fell down on his face. The birds landed on his head and speedily pecked at his ears.

"Who's the scum now?" Ron shouted triumphantly. "Yeah! I just _owned _you Malfoy! Ha! Ha, ha!"

"Where did you learn that, Ron?" Harry said, leaving behind an unconscious wizard with a temporarily shrunken head.

"Hermione used the spell against me when I was seeing Lavender Brown," Ron admitted. "My sixth year was sort of sad, don't you agree?"

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding his head grimly. "But not as sad as the fact that Lavender Brown even started flirting with you."

Ron looked down.

"She's a monster," he whispered. "She's a man- eater."

Meanwhile, Luke and Layton were back to back, each battling a wizard.

Luke repeatedly sent body- binding spells flying in the air while the enemy hopped around on a boulder.

Then, it hit him.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" he shouted. With a bit of difficulty, he lifted the boulder and wizard into the air.

"CURSE IT!" the wizard shouted, furious. He sought for a way to jump down and land safely. Finally, after thinking of a plan, with one hand on the edge of the rock, he slipped down.

"_Arresto Momentum_!" he shouted, covering his eyes and preparing for something along the lines of death or a serious concussion. He hoped it would be the concussion.

He was an inch from the ground when he stopped falling. After a few seconds, he fell to the ground with a relieved sigh.

The wizard looked up and was ready to continue dueling, but saw a wand pointed at his face. He put his hands up. Luke petrified him anyway.

Layton was winning already. He had his opponent in ropes and in his hand he held two wands. One was his own wand, and another was the enemy's.

"_Stupefy_!"

The dark wizard was blasted backwards and poor Lucius Malfoy, who was crashed into yet again, yelled and cursed while rubbing his throbbing neck.

The group of five dragged the rest of the unconscious and threw them on top of Malfoy. His complaints were muffled through the thick barrier that covered him from sight.

"Mm…" he said. "Mm mm, mm mm, mm mm!"

"What's that?" Harry laughed. "I can't hear you!"

"Mm mm!" Lucius yelled.

The victors, triumphant and pleased, walked away laughing about how easily their victory had presented itself and wondering what in the world Lucius Malfoy was blubbering and yelling about.

Well, not that it mattered, though. He will stop shouting later.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Ron was thinking hard. He was thinking about what he had said earlier.

For the first time, it seemed that Ron was the only one thinking about the problem with the dark wizard. He had said his idea to everyone earlier. But with the huge battle, they seemed to have forgotten about it.

This was not true. Professor Layton's mind was whirling as it had never before. Those who knew Layton well would know that he was _always _thinking. It didn't matter where he was, when it was or what the situation was- he had a brilliant mind, and he used it well!

It happened to be that they were thinking about different things. Layton's thoughts started from magic in general, then subdividing into different categories, like wizards and their secrets, spells, the ownership of a wand and more. What he was looking for was the ownership part.

"Hermione," he started. "Do you have any books about wands that I could take a look at?"

"Oh, definitely!" Hermione pulled out two books. One was very old and, on the contrary, the other was very new.

"This one," she said, eyeing the old one (which had half of the cover hanging onto the spine with a single slip of "Spell- o- Tape"), "Is 'The Elements of the Wand and How to Find Them'. It was published in the early sixteenth century." Then, she put it down and slowly lifted the newer book.

"This," she continued. "Is 'Famous Wands and Their Stories'. It mentions Harry in it, by the way- it was published last Christmas!"

Professor Layton did not bother to ask why Harry, of all people, would be mentioned in the book. Was he some sort of celebrity? He might have to find that out later.

"Thank you," Layton said gratefully. He took the new book first and, finding that it was very heavy, staggered over to another slab of rock, close to where Luke was practicing his spells.

_This is just what I need_, he thought. He was sure that he was close to unraveling this diabolical mystery. He flipped the book open to the first page.

"'The history of the wand is a consistent pattern. It is a story. But even though each wand follows the same pattern, they are all unique and different. A wand is passed down from generation to generation, or is won from an opponent. The question is: how? You may look at each tale and, after that, you may know the answer. I sincerely hope that this collection of stories may entertain, enlighten or even prove useful to you. Sincerely, Mr. Ollivander.'"

Layton smiled. It would definitely prove useful to him. He turned to the table of contents, where he found the words, "The Elder Wand, page 777".

Presumably, he flipped to page seven- hundred seventy- seven. There, he found a black and white pencil sketch of what Layton recognized as a wand. Actually, the Elder Wand, to be precise. The illustration might be helpful to them on their quest to find the Elder Wand, but that wasn't what Layton was looking for.

It was on the opposite page that held the key to the mystery. His eyes traveled down to the heading, "HISTORY".

"The Elder Wand was claimed to be the most powerful wand in all time. Even now, many still believe so. This is because of the Tale of the Three Brothers, written by Beedle the Bard.

"Beedle wrote famous children's tales and is well- known for his collection, 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'. The Tale of the Three Brothers is among them, and the story begins when three brothers are traveling along a lonely path. Then, they reach a deadly river that was too dangerous to cross. However, they pulled out their wands and created a bridge.

"Death, who had expected them to meet their end, appeared on the bridge and blocked their only path. He was very angry, for not many people escaped from his wrath. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers by giving each whatever they wanted.

"The first, second and third each took a prize: a wand of elder that made its owner invincible, a stone that brought back the dead, and a cloak that made the users invisible, respectively. The eldest brother took the wand and ventured into a village far away. There, he fought a fellow wizard to the death and boasted loudly of his victory and his powerful wand. With his opponent killed, he found an inn and stayed there for a night.

"That night, a thief took the wand and slit the eldest brother's throat. So, Death could now take the first brother as his own.

"The second brother returned to his home, where he lived on his own. He flipped the Resurrection Stone thrice in his hand. After the third turn, the figure of the girl he had hoped to wed appeared immediately.

"Yet, the girl was sad and suffering, isolated from reality. She had returned, though she did not truly belong in the mortal world. The second brother, driven insane by hopeless longing, killed himself to join his lost love.

"After claiming two of the brothers, Death searched for the third and wisest brother, but he was never able to find him. The youngest brother had grown into an old fellow and finally took the cloak off and passed it on to his son. Only then did the youngest brother join Death as equals and, greeting his old friend, they departed from this life.

"Now, it was said that if an individual owned the Deathly Hallows, the wand, the stone and the cloak, that person would be the Master of Death. However, the only known Master of Death is Harry James Potter (Also the only survivor of the Killing Curse, which he accomplished two times, both times against Lord Voldemort, whom he killed) who refused to take the Hallows and use them to his advantage. The Elder Wand was previously owned by Albus Dumbledore, who was disarmed by Draco Malfoy, and Malfoy was defeated (but not killed) by Harry Potter, the current owner.

"The Elder Wand is also known as 'The Wand of Destiny' or 'The Deathstick'."

Layton shut the book closed and smiled. He knew something was funny about Harry's story. Wasn't there something wrong with the fact that everyone other than Harry in the Elder Wand's history was dead? No, there had to be another that lived to tell the tale. That person had to be alive.

That person had to be Draco Malfoy. Professor Layton beckoned Harry over.

Harry quickly told Luke to keep practicing "Protego". Luke defended himself from Ron's light jinxes.

"What is it?" Harry asked. Layton chuckled.

"You seemed to forget about Draco Malfoy in your little explanation," Layton noted amusedly, still smiling.

Harry's face darkened. "Where did you find that out?"

"A book," he said simply. Harry sighed.

"I didn't forget him… I wish I could," Harry added. "He was my rival at Hogwarts. He challenged me, I beat him, and he crawls back for revenge."

Layton nodded. "Go on."

"During the final battle, he nearly prevented me from defeating Voldemort. Actually, one of his goons, Crabbe, nearly killed us with a deadly fire. He was lost in the process."

Layton started to feel that his theory could have been wrong, and that this was a case he might not solve so easily. "Was Malfoy killed?"

"No," Harry answered, much to Layton's relief. "I saved him from the fire."

"Yes- that's what a gentleman does," Layton agreed. Harry gave Layton a curious look before continuing.

"Yes, that was the right thing to do, I guess," Harry said. "He didn't exactly do anything in return other than hide in cowardice."

"How was he cowardly?" Layton asked.

"He didn't fight in the Final Battle," Harry explained. "I still don't like him very much."

"You don't?" Layton said, though he wasn't surprised at all.

"No," Harry said. "But I don't hate him as much as I did before."

"Well, that's good," Layton said. "Our next move will be visiting your little nemesis here."

Salazar Slytherin was very excited as he paced (or rather, floated) around the room. An impatient rustle came from a slip of paper in his ghostly hands.

"Draco, Draco, where have you been?" he muttered, annoyed. He decided to go outside and wait.

With a swish of his cloak, he transformed into a young man with a Muggle- like appearance. However, his stormy gray eyes remained. He made a face.

"Muggles and their _revolting _clothes…" He muttered, disgusted.

He stepped outside into a storm. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed; the sky was a dark gray, exactly the same as the gray in Slytherin's eyes. A few children ran by, soaking wet and shielding themselves with their schoolbags. They didn't seem to notice that Slytherin was completely dry, presumably because Slytherin stood in the shadows. He wanted to teach Draco a lesson for being late.

Draco Malfoy ran through the streets. He was late for his meeting with Slytherin. He tried to apparate again, but to his despair, he couldn't.

"Cursed Ministry," he said through gritted teeth, still running. "Why did we have to take an Apparating class if we weren't going to use the skill for the next century?" He said a few more insults at the Ministry of Magic and went into a fast sprint.

After a few minutes, Malfoy grew tired. Instead, he summoned a broom and flew to Slytherin's meeting place.

Finally, he arrived at his destination. He hopped off the broom and was prepared for an Angry Salazar- style scolding. This is _not _going to be good. He opened the door.

And… no one there! Malfoy searched the room, and found a small Muggle hiding in a corner.

"What are you doing here?" he roared. The Muggle was silent. Then, he started laughing.

_What_, Malfoy thought, _is this madman doing at this abandoned shop?_

"A madman, you say?" the Muggle asked. Malfoy jumped three feet into the air.

"WHO ARE YOU?" he shouted.

"Me? Don't you recognize me?"

Malfoy looked him over and saw nothing familiar. Suddenly, the Muggles form began to shift.

_Oh no, I think I've shouted at the wrong person_!

A grinning Salazar Slytherin (not a pleasant sight, it's true) appeared before him. Malfoy gulped.

Now, the only thing he could remember was Slytherin, the meeting and someone in his childhood that said the word, "Busted!"


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"Hershel," Hermione said. "What were you talking to Harry about?"

"We were talking about our next move." Layton answered, gazing at Luke. He chuckled, for the roles of Ron and Luke switched somehow.

"Hermione," Ron yelled while laughing. "Hermione, the kid's going to _kill _me!"

"No worries," Luke said happily. "_Stupefy_!"

Ron ran behind a boulder and hid there. Luke aimed his wand at Ron's hiding place. "Incen-"

"NO!" Harry, Professor Layton and Hermione shouted, but it was too late. Flames burst out of his wand and licked around the boulder. After a few seconds, the flames died.

There was a silence. Then:

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF GRYFFINDOR'S SOCKS! THERE'S FIRE IN THE BUILDING! EVERYBODY RUN!" Ron leapt out from behind the boulder, his shirt on fire.

Hermione sighed. "It's just you, Ronald, and a few flames! Use 'Aguamenti'!" However, Ron didn't seem to hear her advice.

"Oops," Luke said. He thought of something he learned in school. "Um… stop drop and roll! Stop drop and roll!"

"WHAT?" Ron screamed.

Harry looked around.

"Well, this is awkward." He muttered. "_Aguamenti Maxima_!"

A huge jet of water erupted from the tip of his wand and quenched the flames in a very short time, but drenched Ron in the process.

"What," Ron said. "Was that for?"

"Um," Luke said. You could say it's his catch phrase now.

"This never happened, okay?" Harry said, embarrassed.

Hermione sighed again. "Boys and their ways…"

"So, Hermione, about our next move?" Professor Layton reminded Hermione.

"Ah, yes," Hermione remembered. "Go on. What's our next move?"

"Visiting Draco Malfoy," Layton said quietly. He didn't look at Hermione's face because he, understandably, didn't want to see her reaction so much. After all, Harry's hadn't been such a smooth reply either.

"What!" she gasped. "Visiting Malfoy? A boy that tried to…"

"…kill the three of you?" Layton finished Hermione's question. "Yes, that's right." Then, he started walking towards the opposite direction.

"After all," he chuckled with his usual smile. "How bad can it be?"

Malfoy gulped. The presence of a more powerful wizard taunted him ever so chillingly. He had become paranoid ever since the fake Mad- Eye Moody, originally Barty Crouch Jr. before taking the Polyjuice Potion, turned him into a ferret for an attempted attack against Harry Potter. To be truthful, he was frightened out of his wits. He wondered what he would be turned into this time. A frog, perhaps.

"I will not turn you into a frog," Slytherin said with amusement. He stroked his beard, deep in thought. "If anything, I will turn you into a ferret again, for that is what you are afraid of being transfigured into the most, I presume?"

"Please, my lord…" Malfoy whispered.

"I am your ally: nothing more. I can be your friend… if you allow me by not being late for one little meeting."

"I apologize, my lor… I mean, my partner." Malfoy realized how strange that sounded but didn't say anything to cover it up.

Slytherin drew in a deep breath. Then, he spoke. "Very well, Draco. I accept your apology. Now, quickly, quickly, we must remember what we are here for."

Malfoy stood a little straighter. "What is it that we will discuss?"

"I have a little predicament."

"Please, go on."

"It consists of you… and another."

"Not Potter, surely?" Malfoy asked anxiously.

Slytherin looked down at Malfoy, a bit of a laugh emerging from between his lips.

"No," he said. "Lucky for you, it is not Potter. It is a past fellow student of yours."

Malfoy did not have a clue about what exactly was going on. He kept silent and listened.

Slytherin went on. "I have another ally. However, I have a feeling that tells me I should only have one… partner… to keep."

Draco's mind started grasping a bit of the idea. He nodded, and his hands trembled slightly.

Slytherin paused. He examined Malfoy.

"Pull out your wand. You're going to have a duel against the other one _immediately_."

Malfoy was surprised but did as he was told anyway. Slytherin left the building for a moment and came back soon after.

"Your opponent is arriving soon," he said with a wicked grin. "Have fun killing each other!"

He turned and disappeared. A few seconds later, a person appeared a couple meters in front of Malfoy.

"Pansy Parkinson? Is it you?" Malfoy asked, bewildered.

"Draco?" Parkinson stared at Malfoy, her eyes wide. "I'm supposed to try and kill you?"

"I guess, yeah," Malfoy answered awkwardly.

Parkinson's face changed. "Here it goes… _Stupefy_!"

Malfoy dodged the flying spell and rolled over to one side. He raised his wand. "_Expelliarmus_!" he yelled.

Parkinson's wand flew out of her hand. Malfoy smiled as he advanced. _I owe you one, Potter_, he thought with a grudging respect.

"_Accio Wand_!" Parkinson yelled. Wandless magic: it must be Slytherin's teachings.

With her wand back, she was able to block Malfoy's incoming "Expulso" spells with "Protego". The red balls of light bounced off of Parkinson's powerful shield charm. Malfoy felt uneasy.

_I don't want to kill anyone_, he thought angrily. _I WON'T KILL ANYONE_!

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Malfoy shouted. Pansy Parkinson's body snapped together and fell onto the hard, wooden floor with a loud _thud_. Malfoy's mind started buzzing with his own voice, except colder and nastier.

_Kill her_, it whispered. _Kill her now so you can live_.

"I can live fine without a stupid little voice in the back of my head, thanks," Malfoy muttered. "_Rennervate_."

He shakily aimed the wand towards Parkinson and revived her.

"Go!" he whispered hastily to Parkinson. He saw a little dust rising in between him and Parkinson: someone was coming into the shop with magic, presumably Slytherin. "Go quick!"

Parkinson nodded and disapparated by turning once.

"_Bombarda_!" He whispered, aiming his wand towards the ground. A hole that a human could fit through was blown into the floor. He waited for Slytherin to appear.

A moment later, Slytherin arrived in his human form, grinning.

"So… I see that you have won," he observed. Then, he looked around the room. "Where is Pansy?"

"Er… I blasted her through the floor," Malfoy answered nervously while pointing towards the hole he had made with his wand.

"Really," Slytherin murmured. His expression suddenly changed into one of a madman.

"Draco Malfoy!" he yelled. "You fool! Did you really think I would leave? No! I stayed with an invisibility charm cast upon myself. And you… you were too dimwitted to notice it! I saw you let that wretched girl go! I saw you revive her from the Body- Binding Curse! _You shall be punished_!"

"Salazar!" Malfoy pleaded. "I have an explanation!"

"What?" Slytherin snapped.

"I… I didn't want to spill any pure blood," Malfoy lied. "I could not spill any pure blood!"

Slytherin stayed silent for a minute.

"Very well," he hissed. "You shall be spared. I have… things… to attend to."

Slytherin exited out the door after changing into Muggle form again. Terrified and unsure of what he was doing, a determined Draco Malfoy followed him.

The five friends set off to search for Draco Malfoy. They knew where his home was, even though Malfoy had left Malfoy Manor and lived independently now: Harry, in his two years as an Auror, knew where many dark wizards stayed or lived. He had been taught how to track dark wizards as well. There was a spell, "Mala Invenies", which was used to find evil wizards and track them down. It worked like the "Four Points" spell, except it didn't direct you north- it directed the user to the dark wizard in hiding.

Harry, Ron and Hermione apparated to Malfoy's home with the professor and Luke. Layton didn't like the feeling of apparition and felt like he couldn't breathe. Luke squirmed and tried not to let go- he held onto his blue cap and shut his eyes.

After what seemed like ages, Luke stumbled and hid behind a bush, preparing to vomit. Layton's face turned white as he steadied himself, adjusting his lopsided top hat.

"Most people vomit the first time," Harry explained apologetically, remembering Dumbledore's words when he apparated for the first time. "I should have warned you earlier."

"No," Luke said, tripping over a branch. "I'm fine…"

"You two were quite successful for wizards who just recognized their gifts three hours ago," Ron remarked. Hermione nodded in agreement. Harry had wandered over to the house owned by Malfoy. In the front of the house, large pillars descended from the grey roof onto the railing, which was made of stone. If you looked closely, you could see a faint engraving on each pillar, which somewhat resembled a winding snake, slowly curling around a tree trunk. It was to honor Salazar Slytherin, for there had not been a single Malfoy who had not been in the Hogwarts house of Slytherin. Harry remembered the Sorting Hat's whispers during his first year at Hogwarts: _Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that_…

It turned out that he was sorted into Gryffindor, after pleading the Hat not to be put into Slytherin many times. He had felt nervous and was worried about the fact that he might belong to Slytherin after all. It was Dumbledore who had finally reassured him that he was put in Gryffindor not because of his traits or abilities, but because of the choice he made.

Harry approached the house with caution and went straight to the door. Hesitantly, he pulled the handle. It was locked.

"_Alohomora_," he murmured and tried again. The door would not budge.

"It's a Muggle lock," Harry announced, surprised that a pure- blooded wizard such as Malfoy would use a common lock and a key. "We'll have to try and get in with some other way."

He felt around the rough bricks that formed the four walls. He tried to use "Bombarda" but it bounced off a strong shield charm surrounding the house.

Professor Layton, recovered from his slight discomfort, studied the recently built house and circled the house once. He smiled slightly and beckoned the rest over to where he stopped.

"Harry," he said. "Did you notice this?"

Layton pointed to six blocks, bunched together. The three blocks on the bottom had a life- size engraving of a snake, its tail to the left and its head to the right. The blocks slightly jutted out.

"Can you pull it?" Luke asked curiously. No one answered, and he tried it himself.

The blocks easily slid out, and all of the bricks on top fell into the previously hidden hole in the ground. Slowly, a path into the house appeared before them, and a sort of eerie, green light illuminated their path. The bright daylight seemed so much more welcoming; Luke almost wanted to vomit again when he saw the multiple skulls and dark artifacts placed along the corridor.

Harry was the first to step inside. Right after he landed on the cold, stone floor, the sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the hall. Ron gulped.

"_Lumos_!" Harry lit his wand as everyone else did the same.

Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared.

"Password?" it rasped. Harry thought for a moment.

"Pure- blood," Harry answered while Hermione's eyes narrowed into slits, shaking with anger.

The figure disappeared and they proceeded, looking out for any possible danger. Harry stopped abruptly and signaled the others to stop with a wave of his wand.

"_Homenum Revelio_," he whispered. Nothing happened.

"Okay, no one's here: we're safe to look around," Harry confirmed and let the others pass.

Hermione found a blank parchment lying on the floor. She held it up to her wand.

"_Aparecium_," she whispered, waving her wand over the parchment. Some ink appeared, and Hermione read it quickly.

"Greetings to the reader,

"I presume that you enter this house seeking something. I also think that you are seeking a very powerful object: the Wand of Destiny.

"I do not wish to reveal my identity. However, I will tell you that I am no ordinary wizard. I am not alive… yet I am not dead.

"_**S**___ March 10th, 1999"


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

Harry examined the note very carefully.

"_I am not alive… yet I am not dead_," Harry read with his nose inches away from the parchment in his hands. "It sounds like a very old form of Dark Magic that we don't know about."

"Sorry?" Luke asked, not sure what exactly was going on.

"Dark Magic is wizardry in its most horrible form," Hermione explained. "It's what our enemies use all the time… especially Slytherins."

"Ah," Layton said, understanding.

Ron walked over and looked out the window. "We could really use some help on the Dark Magic thing. It doesn't sound like anything we've learned before."

"Of course," Hermione agreed. "They didn't teach us about Horcruxes. They obviously didn't teach us about the Deathly Hallows, though I may debate whether that is evil or not. They can't possibly teach us about making yourself undead and still in control of your body as if you were alive."

"They might not have taught us that," Harry said. "At least not when we were listening,"

Ron, Hermione, Professor Layton and Luke looked at Harry. He continued.

"Professor Binns… who is our history professor at Hogwarts, Hershel and Luke… always talked about ancient things and events. However, we never listened. But we _can _go to Hogwarts and ask him."

"When will we go?" Ron asked.

"Now," Harry answered, preparing to apparate.

"Harry, you can't apparate in and out of Malfoy's home, remember?" Hermione reminded him.

"Oh… right," Harry said, his face now the color of a tomato. "I'll… be outside."

Malfoy slipped around a corner very quietly. Slytherin moved very quickly, and Malfoy strained not to remain hidden.

_I wonder why he won't use apparition_, Malfoy thought to himself. Slytherin paused.

_I should not think about anything_. Malfoy hid behind a trash bin. Slytherin had the ability of Legilimency, so he could sense Malfoy if he focused on one thought too hard. Slytherin, after taking it as a false alarm, continued to his destination, a bit slower this time.

After a few minutes, Slytherin arrived at Spinner's End and went straight to a nearby doorstep. He knocked.

"Who is it?" a voice from inside the house called.

"The post," Slytherin answered as he hastily changed into the appearance of a different Muggle. The other person opened the door.

"Thank you," she said while Slytherin handed her the envelopes and letters. Then, she noticed it was starting to rain harder. "You should come in."

Slytherin entered the house. Malfoy could not go in without being seen, and he looked for a way to listen. After a few seconds he found an open window that the lady had forgotten to close. He pressed his back to the wall and strained to listen.

"Excuse me," the woman said. "Is this yesterday's mail?"

Slytherin froze. Malfoy sensed that this was not part of his plan, and something bad was about to happen.

Slytherin morphed into a giant cloud of some sort in the shape of a snake. He dove right through the woman's stomach.

The lady collapsed. Malfoy could see her clearer now.

She wore very casual clothes: jeans; slippers; a t- shirt that said the Weird Sisters on it… wait, the Weird Sisters!

_Isn't that a band in the magical world_? Draco thought. _She must know or have something Slytherin wanted._

Slytherin was now searching through a pile of old books on a desk, slipping ones he wanted into an unseen pouch or pocket that only he could open. Malfoy saw him raise a book with the Deathly Hallows on it and put it in his invisible bag. Slytherin turned to leave, but his eyes saw something he wanted the most, something Malfoy believed to have been destroyed.

_The Sorcerer's Stone._

After Hermione stowed the note in her beaded handbag, which has an infinite amount of space to place things in, the five friends set off for Hogwarts. Luke was half- dragged outside, because, understandably, he didn't feel like being suffocated.

They successfully apparated to Hogsmeade, the village near Hogwarts, without making Luke vomit. However, Luke's stomach felt like it was flipping over and the professor exchanged some Muggle money for some wizard currency and went to the Three Broomsticks to buy Luke some butterbeer to ease his stomach.

As Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down and waited for the professor and Luke, they remembered something.

"Isn't Andrew Schrader in the castle now?" Harry asked.

"Yeah… we saw him on the Marauder's Map!" Ron remembered.

"Oh no," Hermione murmured. "What if we got him in trouble?"

"Let's not mention this to Hershel and Luke until we get inside the castle," Harry suggested as the puzzle fanatics stepped outside the Three Broomsticks.

"So," Luke said, perfectly fine now. "Where do we go now?"

"We get inside Hogwarts," Hermione replied. "And we ask our history professor some questions."

"Yes," Ron said. "How should we get in?"

"I'm an Auror, don't forget," Harry reminded Ron and Hermione. "I think I can get in and out of the castle by apparition."

Luke groaned. Even the professor frowned.

"Then…" Harry said, racking his brains for an alternative. "We can use the secret passage in Honeydukes."

"What's Honeydukes?" Layton asked.

"It's a candy shop." Hermione told him.

"YES!" Luke cheered. "I wish I were a student here! Professor, can we buy some candy?"  
>"Of course," Layton replied, his expression back to his usual smile.<p>

So they entered Honeydukes, the professor preparing a few sickles and knuts while Luke ran around trying to decide if he should get sugar quills, Every Flavor Beans, another chocolate frog or all of the above. He chose to take three sugar quills, a box of Every Flavor Beans and one chocolate frog.

Layton saw Luke carrying a whole stack of sweets and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Are you planning on skipping dinner tonight?" he asked amusedly.

"Oh, no," Ron said, shaking his head. "You don't want to miss dinner at Hogwarts!"

"It's the most delicious cooking I've ever eaten…" Harry commented. Then, he remembered, "Except for Mrs. Weasley's meals."

Luke nearly fainted with delight, for not only magic made everything easier, magic also seemed to make food taste better, too. Layton hastily took the sweets and paid for them at the counter. After that was done, the cashier conveniently left so that the five people could easily slip into Hogwarts without being seen going into the cellar and using the secret passageway.

Harry lifted the trapdoor and let the other four in before he entered. Slipping through, he saw Layton looking around, curious and eager to explore.

"I've never seen anything quite like this before," he said. "Curious…"

"Professor, it's an underground tunnel!" Luke exclaimed, examining the earthy walls and the uneven path.

"It's a path I found when I was thirteen," Harry explained while Hermione lit their wands with "Lumos". "My uncle and aunt refused to sign my permission slip and let me go to Hogsmeade-"

"Terrible," Luke said, shaking his head.

"-so I used the Marauder's Map… the map we showed you back in that filthy alleyway… and found this path to Honeydukes. Ron's older brothers gave this to me."

"That's cool!" Luke was ready to bolt down the tunnel and see Hogwarts. All this was more exciting than anything he had ever experienced before. He wished desperately to go to Hogwarts and learn more magic.

"Well, let's go already!" Ron said. "I haven't been in that castle for two and a half years, we can chat more after I taste their lamb chops again, alright?"

"Seriously, Ronald," Hermione giggled. "You're going to flood Hogwarts if you continue drooling like that,"

"Or at least drown everyone in it," Harry added, grinning broadly.

And they continued on their way into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

After what felt like an hour of walking, Professor Layton walked to a dead end. He turned around after feeling the wall a bit.

"It seems to me that there is no way forward," he observed.

"Ah," Harry said, smiling. "We have arrived at the end."

"Yes!" Luke said. "But where do we go?"

"Over here," Harry said, lighting his wand so bright everyone else had to shield their eyes.

Immediately, a small hole just large enough for Ron to crawl through was revealed. It had been hidden by the darkness until Harry casted "Lumos" again (everyone else previously stopped using "Lumos" because of some cobwebs they had to get through). Ron gaped.

"You crawled through _this_ to get to Hogsmeade?" Ron whispered, pointing at a few hairy, moving creatures. "It has… stuff in it!"

"Ron has a pathological fear of spiders," Hermione explained to Layton and Luke. "He never got over it… not even in his second year, when he and Harry had to run away from a man- eating acromantula."

"What?" Luke asked.

"Never mind," Hermione said hastily. "Shall I go first?"

"Okay," Harry said. "I think you should get rid of those spiders first, though."

"Done," Ron said, levitating fried spiders out of the hole.

Hermione crawled through the hole. After her went Ron, then Luke, Layton and finally, Harry.

Everything was dark again: Everyone had dimmed their wands since they were crawling and could not hold them up. Suddenly, everyone halted.

"It's a statue of some sort… a witch?" Hermione said.

"Oh, right, the one- eyed witch," Harry remembered. "What was the spell? Oh, yeah, now I remember. Hermione, say _Dissendium_ while pointing your wand at the one- eyed witch."

"_Dissendium_," Hermione said. The statue moved to one side and light spilled into the small passage. The five slid out of the tunnel, one by one.

"Where are we?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"With our luck, I reckon we might be in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Ron said as he crawled out, landing beside the statue of the one- eyed witch.

Fortunately, Ron was wrong: There were in a classroom full of cobwebs and dust. Harry observed his surroundings.

"It's a classroom," Harry murmured. "I remember it from my third year. It looks exactly the same as its appearance then. I think it's abandoned."

"This is part of Hogwarts, I presume?" Layton said.

"You would be correct," Hermione said. "But this is one of the filthiest places in Hogwarts I've ever seen! Come, there're classrooms so much better- looking than this one."

"Wow, Hermione: are you planning on teaching housekeeping at Hogwarts someday?" Ron asked Hermione as she punched him hard in the shoulder. Luke and Harry laughed out loud. Professor Layton chuckled.

"Say, I've thought of a puzzle!" he said brightly.

"A puzzle," Harry said. "I've never solved a puzzle from the Muggle world before."

"You should all want to hear the professor's puzzles!" Luke said. "They're all very fun!"

"Okay," the other three said.

"_**One day, a man visited one of his old friends at their home. His friend welcomed him in and asked him in his living room, 'My family shares the same drawer to put clothes in. However, my daughter and son do not share a room with me or each other. I share a room with my wife. Where should I place this drawer?' The man looked around and walked past the kitchen, some sleeping bags and the study. So, where shall the drawer be placed?**_"

"This is one of the professor's easiest puzzles: be prepared for harder ones later on!" Luke warned Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were, at the moment, racking their brains for an answer to Layton's puzzle.

"Be careful," Layton said. "You might have missed something in my puzzle."

"'The man looked around and walked past the kitchen, some sleeping bags and the study," Hermione repeated. She had a knack for memorizing sentences and phrases since she was in her first year at Hogwarts. "Somehow I think that's the key to the puzzle."

"It's the sleeping bags!" Harry said. "The sleeping bags allow them all to sleep wherever they want, so the drawer can also be placed wherever they want."

"See?" Luke said. "It wasn't that hard. You're going to have to solve harder ones later on."

"That's cool," Ron commented. "How you two can think up puzzles like that. Maybe Hermione here has the brains to do that."

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione said. "Yes. It is pretty amazing how you two can do that."

"Now," Harry said. "I think we should get back to searching for Professor Binns."

"You're right," Layton agreed. "Let's go."

With that, they stepped outside the classroom and into the third corridor.

Malfoy returned to his home, panting hard. Slytherin had gotten his hands on the Sorcerer's Stone. Once he figured out how to use it, which shouldn't be hard since he was ancient, he would ditch Malfoy by killing him because he had everything that he wanted.

_No_, Malfoy thought. _His plan must include something else too_.

Salazar Slytherin was a smart man. No one can deny that. He was cunning; quick- witted and could figure out a plan to destroy Durmstrang Institute of Magical Learning in five seconds. He couldn't just rely on the Sorcerer's Stone (Malfoy had no idea how Slytherin found the stone. Maybe because it was "destroyed" for seven years and no one bothered to look for it, Slytherin might have used that time to search for clues that lead him to its whereabouts) because if someone destroyed it, he would still remain… whatever he is now. So he has to have something that would help him become mortal, or immortal, rather. Malfoy was getting himself confused.

Malfoy opened the door and entered his home. Sighing and sitting down on a chair, he failed to notice the missing note. Of course, now that he knew what Slytherin was up to, he wouldn't have cared if he noticed that Slytherin's note was taken.

However, as he stood up and walked around some more, it seems that he would care if he knew that Harry Potter had just entered his home. Because as he neared the corridor in the back of his house he stopped: there was sunlight spilling onto the usually dark floor.

"Potter," he muttered. "He's been in my home and he's got the brains to get in. Then again, that's probably the Mudblood's work."

Malfoy set the bricks back to the way they were with "Reparo" and went back to his original spot, sitting down and thinking some more. He still didn't search for the note and check if it was taken by Harry or not.

What else would Slytherin look for? What was something he could rely on other than Horcruxes? He had called Lord Voldemort a fool for making them. Lord Voldemort was the most terrifying dark wizard until a few days ago when people started disappearing. Although he was killed in 1998, people still didn't dare say his name. Some believed he came back and caused the disappearances. Some believed that the fact that the Elder Wand only belongs to one person was not true and that Voldemort faked his death. Others think Voldemort's ghost would haunt them forever if they simply said "The Dark Lord".

Malfoy thought everything over. Then, it hit him.

Closing his eyes, he realized-

"He would want the Deathly Hallows, of course," a voice said from behind him.

The five friends decided to go to the headmistress's office. This year, the headmistress of Hogwarts was Professor McGonagall, who was previously the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. However, she was also a very talented dueler and a good friend of Dumbledore's.

Harry and the others arrived at the entrance. The last time he had been here, a statue of the gargoyle was knocked onto the floor, yet it was now as good as new.

"Password?" it asked, tilting its head slightly.

"I'm Harry Potter, here to see Professor McGonagall-"

"HEY, EVERYONE: HARRY POTTER'S BACK! COME AND SEE!" the gargoyle yelled at the top of his stone lungs.

Everybody nearby crowded around the gargoyle, but "The Boy Who Lived", or rather, "The Boy Who Saved Each and Every One of Their Lives by Getting Rid of Lord Voldemort", was nowhere to be seen. He, Ron, Hermione, Layton and Luke had quietly snuck up the staircase while the gargoyle attracted curious students like a pile of money would attract… anyone in the world, really.

The five jogged up to the door of the office. Ron got there first and knocked three times. A voice from inside said, "Come in, please."

Hermione pushed open the double doors, which creaked slightly, and peeked in. Professor McGonagall was sitting at the desk, looking stern as ever, in front of the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, who was currently not present. When she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, her expression changed completely.

"Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall stared at her former student. "I was expecting two students of mine, not the three of you and… two gentlemen. How may I help you?"

"Hello, Professor," Hermione greeted. "We would like to speak to Professor Binns-"

"We would _like_ to speak to Binns," Ron muttered. "_Like _to? Not in a million years…"

"-because we saw something we wanted to ask him about," Hermione finished and, as always, ignoring Ron.

"Professor Binns is in his… usual spot," Professor McGonagall answered slowly, though she was just guessing.

"Thank you," said Harry. He started to leave, but McGonagall stopped him.

"Potter," McGonagall said. "May I ask what you're up to?"

"Just another little Dark Wizard," Harry lied. "I am an Auror, after all."

"Alright," Professor McGonagall murmured, though she didn't really believe Harry. "If you say so…"

The five headed out the door and walked towards Professor Binn's classroom. Luke was very excited as he looked around the Grand Staircase.

"Is that moving, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?" Luke asked, head spinning.

"Well, if they were playing tricks on you, then why would people be walking on on the stairs?" Harry replied quietly before shouting out, "Neville! I heard you're going to be the Herbology teacher! How's it going?"

A person who was on the third floor and about to enter the third floor corridor, called back, "Oh, hi! Yeah, that's true, I'm going to sign up right now. What are you all doing here?"

"We're getting signing up Hermione as a housekeeping teacher," Ron joked and Hermione punched him once more as Neville laughed.

"See you all later!" Neville yelled. "Good luck, Hermione!" He then disappeared into the corridor entrance in front of him. Harry led the others on.

"That was one of my old classmates," Ron said. "Brave man: killed Voldemort's pet snake."

"Pet snake," Hermione repeated sarcastically. "His 'pet snake' nearly mistook us for his afternoon snack. Actually, it almost killed us so many times! Great hobby of his, isn't it?"

"Ha ha," Layton chuckled. "That sounds fun!"

Hermione sighed exasperatedly as Ron muttered to the professor, "Hey, you're catching on real quick! Next time, let's try to make her-"

"-revive Professor Binns!" Harry gasped upon entering the classroom.

Professor Binns, though a ghost, lay on the ground, a dark vapor just disappearing around him.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Professor Binns looked like he was just punched onto the floor: his body lay spread- eagled in his classroom. However, as many people would know, ghost may not be punched, kicked or killed. They cannot be stabbed or shot. There is one exception: they can be petrified.

In Harry's second year, the Heir of Slytherin set loose the Basilisk, or a giant snake. If someone took one look at the Basilisk directly in the eye, that person would be killed immediately. That is, unless the person saw it through a reflection.

Hermione Granger was petrified that year, because she was holding a mirror. She found out about the Basilisk at the library and knew all about it, so she planned to tell Harry and Ron. Halfway from the library, she caught a glimpse of the Basilisk's eye in the mirror and was petrified, but fortunately, not killed.

Actually, no one was killed that school year. A few other students, none of them from the Slytherin house, were petrified, although Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost, took the full blast. He was dead anyway, so he was petrified, and that brings the story back to the present.

"D' you think Slytherin enlarged a boa constrictor this time?" Ron whispered. "It could have poisoned him to death."

"Boa constrictors aren't venomous, Ronald!" Hermione said, shaking her head at Ron's silly lack of knowledge.

"You don't know that," he said defensively.

"Actually, if I were you, I'd think she does. She was the smartest student in the school, remember?" Harry reminded him.

"She was?" Luke said.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "I'm serious."

"Okay, I get the point," Ron said. "Now back to our poor old Professor Binns, lying on the floor and inviting someone to pass by and kick him."

"Ghosts can't be kicked," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, fine, but what are we going to do with him?" Ron wondered. "How are we going to get our information?"

"Maybe sure the other ghosts know what to do with him," Hermione suggested.

"Or we could send him to Madam Pomfrey," Harry added.

"Let's go with the Madam Pomfrey idea," Ron said, pulling out his wand.

Harry turned to Professor Layton and Luke.

"So you two can levitate things, right?" Harry asked them.

"Yes, you are correct," Layton confirmed.

"Are we going to levitate a petrified ghost? They aren't even solid objects!" Luke pointed out.

"We're going to try," Harry said as he walked back to his unmoving history professor. "When I say go, we start. One, two, three and go!"

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

"_Wingardium Leviosa Maxima_!"

"_Stupe… _I mean,_ Wingardium Leviosa_!"

Hermione stood in the back to speed up the process by casting "Depulso" on Professor Binns, pushing him forward. They left the classroom and slowly traveled to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey's office was.

Around the school, students all pointed and whispered excitedly as they spotted Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger in Hogwarts.

"It's the trio!" a short first year whispered. "They're back!"

"What d' you reckon they're doing in Hogwarts?" a third year girl asked her friend.

"Oy, what's with the staring?" Ron shouted. "Go back to… whatever you're all doing."

There was a bit of muttering, but gradually the students, looking over their shoulder to take one last look at Harry Potter and his friends, shuffled away.

"Ron," Hermione whispered. "That's not very polite!"

"Being polite isn't much of a habit of Ron's," Harry pointed out. "At least when people gawk at him when he comes to visit Hogwarts after a whole year."

"Hey, it's you who brought me in to this fame thing," Ron said. "Now we're the three youngest wizards to be on a chocolate frog card. To be specific, you are."

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Hermione said. Luke did you check out any of the chocolate frog cards you got?"

"No," Luke answered. "Should I?"

"Yes," Ron said. "I've gotten about seven hundred now- they're all worth collecting."

"Okay," Luke said. He pulled the cards out of his brown book- bag and studied them. Ron looked at them as well and checked if he had each one.

"Morgana," he said. "Albus Dumbledore, Merlin, Uric the Oddball-"

Professor Layton was surprised at some of the names. He'd heard of Merlin and Morgana before. Were some of the old fantasy tales true?

"-Gellert Grindlewald, Circe, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Bathilda Bagshot… and all three of us!"

"All three of us?" Harry asked, surprised.

"What does it say?" Hermione said, looking over.

**HARRY POTTER**

The Boy Who Lived, Conqueror of the Dark Lord

The only known survivor of the killing curse, Harry James Potter is one of the greatest duelers in the twentieth century. His defeat of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort in 1998 has been one of the most well- known events in modern times. Harry Potter and his friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991. Harry enjoys Quidditch and is now an Auror. He, currently, is also the Master of Death.

**RONALD WEASLEY**

Currently the "Master of Mysteries" (named by Hermione Granger)

A friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's, Ronald Bilius Weasley is a very good comedian. Cracking jokes occasionally to make his friends laugh in depressing times is one of his habits, but his jokes may lead him into a casual argument with Hermione Granger. Ron is capable of opening things with Parseltongue, the ability to speak to snakes, though he is not a Parselmouth. He is now an Auror.

**HERMIONE GRANGER**

Officially the Smartest Witch of the Century, Knows Every Single Spell in the World

Hermione Jean Granger is one of the smartest witches in the century (as stated above) and is compared to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore by many. She is skilled in all subjects (with an exception of Divination: she quit it in her third year and is partially why she is compared to Dumbledore, who considered banning the subject) and constantly helps her friends Harry and Ron on their homework. She, out of the three friends, was the only one that revisited Hogwarts to finish her seventh year after their Horcrux Hunt.

Ron's ears turned red. On the wizard card, the picture of him mimicked his actions, and its ears turned red as well.

"…jokes may lead him into a casual argument with Hermione Granger…" he muttered, eyeing his card. "Where did they find that out?"

"I hope McGonagall doesn't eat chocolate frogs," Harry said. "Otherwise, she'll find out that Hermione's been helping us out on our homework."

"I wasn't helping you out!" Hermione sighed. "I was doing it for you!"

"Not that I wish to interrupt your little chat," Layton said. "But we have a ghost to carry to the Hospital Wing, remember?"

"Oh yes, of course," Hermione said, still glaring at Harry and Ron.

"I think Hermione should teach a "How to Look Mad" class now," Ron whispered into Harry's ear. Harry nodded his head, agreeing.

The five finally arrived at the Hospital Wing after at least fifty people who passed by stared at them and the unmoving ghost. Seventh years, who were in their first year at Hogwarts when Nearly Headless Nick was petrified by the Slytherin's basilisk, saw that a second ghost was just petrified and stopped in their tracks so that the people behind them literally crashed into each other.

Madam Pomfrey was next to a person with boils all over his face and a tail growing from his rear. Harry was reminded of his cousin, Dudley, since Dudley was once hit by a jinx that caused the tail of a pig to grow out of his pants.

"Potter!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, almost as surprised as Professor McGonagall. "What a pleasure to see you!"

"Might be nice if someone says 'Weasley' or 'Granger' for once," Ron joked in Hermione's ear.

"Is that..." Madam Pomfrey started.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"Oh my," the nurse whispered. "What could have happened?"

"Truthfully, I don't know," Hermione said, shaking her head.

Professor Layton looked up suddenly. His eyes shone and he had a little smile on his face.

"Everyone," Professor Layton murmured. "I think I know who our dark wizard is."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Malfoy spun around, his eyes wide with surprise. "Who is it?"

"If you looked closely, your blind eyes could have seen me," Marcus Flint teased, stepping out of the shadows to greet his former schoolmate.

"I'm not blind!" Malfoy protested, though his face was as red as a cherry. He must have realized it too, because he turned away quickly. "Besides, we all know you're the blind one- losing the Snitch to Potter while he was in his first year."

Flint was getting mad, but he did not wish to show it. "Silent!"

It was bad enough that he lost to Potter in a duel. Well, he almost won… until that infuriating child in the blue shirt showed up and petrified him. He wasn't going to let Malfoy know that.

Malfoy stopped his train of thought. "You're awfully quiet. Did Potter snap your broom with his bare hands, or did you?" He roared with laughter at his own joke. Flint didn't find it very funny, and they were drifting away from the main subject.

"The Deathly Hallows," Flint said loudly over Malfoy's laughter. Malfoy cringed at the name and fell silent.

"He wants the Deathly Hallows-"

"Who does? Is it-"

"Slytherin does, you dull prat!" Flint bellowed. Malfoy fell silent again.

"Slytherin wants the Deathly Hallows, because he wants immortality." Flint continued, calming down. "Being Master of Death would give him immortality."

_I should have known_. Malfoy thought to himself. _That's why he took a book with the Deathly Hallows symbol on it! I feel so dumb…_

"It's not really a mystery, really," Flint said. Malfoy actually _met_ with Slytherin and he didn't figure anything out. This is embarrassing. Fortunately, Flint added, "But I don't know what's stopping Slytherin."

_My turn to show you what I know,_ Malfoy thought, satisfied. "It's the Elder Wand, obviously."

"What?" Flint asked, surprised. "The Elder Wand… I thought Dumbledore owned that wand."

"Dumbledore was killed, didn't you hear?" Malfoy sneered. "He died because Professor Snape killed him. God, that old fool-"

"Bah," Flint spat. "Get on with the important stuff. I don't care if that excuse of a headmaster is dead or not."

"Dumbledore was disarmed by me," Malfoy said.

"Wait," Flint interrupted. "You're the Master of the Elder Wand?"

"No! Don't interrupt!" Malfoy hissed. "Don't you want to know what Slytherin is up to?" Flint scowled, but didn't talk anymore.

"Potter took my wand," Malfoy continued, glaring at Flint as he spoke. "So he owned my wand, the Elder Wand and his own wand.

"He gave my wand back; apparently he was smart enough to realize that he didn't need three wands to carry around in his pocket."

"But…" Flint thought aloud. "He's the Master of the Elder Wand? That means Slytherin has to kill him!"

"Or disarm him," Malfoy added. "Obviously-"

"I don't CARE!" Flint shouted and he launched himself at Malfoy.

"Who is it, professor?" Luke pressed. "Is it someone we know? Is it a bloodthirsty monster? Is it Don Paulo in disguise? Is it Slytherin?"

"Correct, my boy!" Professor Layton beamed. Luke choked. "DON PAULO?"

"Ah, no," Layton said. "The heart of the mystery is Salazar Slytherin."

"Hermione, you're okay at piano, play a bit of dramatic music," Ron suggested in Hermione's ear. Hermione slapped him on the arm.

"Salazar Slytherin?" Harry asked, amazed. "He's… he's gone! How could he have revived himself?"

"That," Professor Layton murmured. "I do not know. But there is a reason that I have come to believe Salazar Slytherin is the cause of the disappearances.

"Look at the note, everyone. The note says 'I am not alive, yet I am not dead'. I have read a book on sorcery- people can attach their souls to a person, or even an object."

"Horcruxes!" Hermione whispered.

"It can't be a horcrux, though. Slytherin is known to be proud, quick and clever." Ron pointed out. "He would never copy Voldemort, because he would lose his pride… or something."

"True," Hermione said. "Horcruxes aren't the most reliable things in the world."

"Go on, Hershel," Harry said.

"If the culprit is indeed Slytherin," Layton continued. "Then we can match that up with the initials, can't we?"

Layton wrote on the note, Slytherin, next to the "_**S**___ March 10th, 1999"

"'S' stands for 'Slytherin'," Luke realized. Then, he took out the Salazar Slytherin chocolate frog card that he had.

**SALAZAR SLYTHERIN**

Salazar Slytherin is one of the four original founders of Hogwarts. Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor were originally very good friends, but when the other founders found that Slytherin decided to block out Muggle- borns and half- bloods from the school, they banished him. However, they did not do it in time to stop him from constructing the Chamber of Secrets. The monster in the chamber, a basilisk that only answers to the Heir of Slytherin, was killed by Harry James Potter in 1993. Salazar Slytherin's date of death is currently unknown.

"They don't know when he died!" Luke exclaimed. "That means he could, technically, still exist!"

"These people must be mental," Ron muttered, but he had to agree.

"This makes sense!" Hermione whispered excitedly. "That's why we found the note in Malfoy's home!"

"And that's why the people who disappeared were-" Ron started but stopped as Harry gazed ruefully into the distance.

"And that's why the people who disappeared were related to me." Harry finished for Ron, looking back at the group. His eyes were burning with a fierce determination to save the magical world once again. "And that's why we must stop Slytherin."

The five had forgotten about Madam Pomfrey, who was trying her best to understand what was going on.

"Err… I know you Gryffindors have a grudge against the House of Slytherin-" she started.

"It's not the Slytherin house." Ron corrected. "It's Salazar Slytherin himself."

Madam Pomfrey glanced at each one of them once.

"Do you all need pills for amnesia?" she asked politely.

"Um… no," Luke answered, puzzled.

"But Slytherin died!" Madam Pomfrey frantically waved her hands around while speaking. "He couldn't have revived himself! Death cannot be mastered!"

"Unless you're the Master of Death, he can," Harry said.

"But Mr. Potter- everyone knows that you're the Master of Death," Madam Pomfrey said. "They say that's the only path to avoiding death that is not really considered dark magic."

"Well," Harry said slowly. "If you can't cheat death in any other way… and you can't use Horcruxes… I've got it!"

"What is it?" The other four asked.

"The… the sorcerer's stone." Harry whispered.

"What?" Professor Layton and Luke asked.

"The sorcerer's stone is a supposedly destroyed stone that can make anything into gold," Hermione recited as if she was a textbook. "It is also known as the Elixir of Life, and it provides immortality."

"But Dumbledore said it was destroyed!" Ron remembered. "Or… do you reckon he was lying?"

"Maybe, because after I took it out of the mirror, it fell into my pocket… I saved it from Quirrel, and it fell to the ground… but it wasn't broken yet."

"Hang on," Luke said. "A mirror?"

"The Mirror of Erised," Hermione said. "Is a mirror that can show you your life's desire or your deepest wishes. However, if your strongest thought is not for your own gain, it may come true."

"Harry tried to keep it from this Quirrel bloke, so it wasn't for his own gain." Luke thought about it a long time. So did the professor. After a minute of silence, they looked at each other. They had the exact same conclusion.

"So if we're trying to keep the stone from Slytherin," Luke started.

"It is not for our own gain," Layton said.

"The only way to find if the stone still exists…" Harry was starting to catch on. A smile crept up his face.

"We have to find the Mirror of Erised," they all said in unison.

"I must go fetch someone from St. Mungo's," Madam Pomfrey thought as she hurried to her office. "These kids aren't in their right mind!"

Salazar Slytherin felt the sorcerer's stone roll around satisfyingly in his coat pocket. He decided to change back into his wizard form and turn invisible.

"All I have to do now is to kill that silly alchemist Flamel," he thought, pleased with his work.

It was noon already. Slytherin, as himself never needed to sleep or rest, so he could easily arrange his meetings with Malfoy in the early morning. He wasn't alive, after all.

_But I am not dead_, he thought, grinning evilly. He stepped up to a large wall of brick. A dead end, a Muggle might say.

But any wizard would know that this was the entrance to Diagon tapping a series of bricks, the wall could lead to the wizard shopping district.

Slytherin simply waved his hand. The wall was blasted apart, bits of rock disintegrating in the process. After a few long seconds, the dust slowly started to reform.

Slytherin did not care. He walked on under the sun, passing people who were watching the suddenly blown apart brick wall magically reform. They were too distracted to notice slightly damp footprints on the cobblestone path up the district.

Slytherin quietly arrived at Knockturn Alley's entrance. He walked down the filthy stairs and slid past a madman, who was pounding the wall and hollering, "I didn't steal that acid pop! That was the dragon! Please, don't put me in detention, Professor McGonagall! I would give you my entire wizard card collection…"

Slytherin slid past him and arrived at Borgin and Burke's. A very old and grimy skull greeted him on the way in. A normal person would say "Ew!" and run away. Slytherin pushed it aside with his bare hands and kept his steady pace.

"I am so close," he thought to himself. He neared a small desk, where a small note was placed.

"What the-" he muttered.

"Salazar,

It has come to my attention that you have sought for immortality for many years now; It does not pleasure me that you, my childhood friend, has been filled with such greed and hatred. You have broken a promise, an oath. You must remember being excluded from the rest of us that day, when you allowed only pure- bloods into the school. You will soon come to regret that decision, Salazar.

You must not stay this way. You must meet me when the third month dies. You and I shall have a little discussion."

Slytherin read the message a few times in disbelief. Then, his eyes traveled to the signature.

"No… it can't be…"

Slytherin's worst fears came true.

_**G **_March 20th, 1999


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Flint pushed Malfoy into the corridor. Malfoy was stunned; what had just happened?

"What are you doing?" Malfoy shouted as Flint attacked him.

"I HATE YOU!" Flint screamed. Malfoy wasn't sure of what he meant; he pretty much hated everyone. "Stop it!" he yelled.

Flint ignored Malfoy and held him against the wall. "Quiet! QUIET!" he screeched.

Malfoy pushed him away and rolled to one side. Flint stumbled, but his eyes were still on Malfoy.

"What's wrong with you?" Malfoy whispered, terrified. "What's your problem?"

"What's my problem?" Flint repeated. "My problem is you!" He charged forward.

Malfoy pulled out his wand. "_Stupefy_!"

Flint tripped and fell, but he grabbed hold of Malfoy's foot.

"Get off!" Malfoy screamed. "GET OFF ME!" He attempted to stand up while Flint just held him down like an anchor.

"_Impedimenta_!" he shouted, casting blindly from his wand. Flint's grip slightly loosened. Malfoy crawled away as fast as he could.

Flint stood up and pulled out his own wand. "_Reducto_!"

Malfoy just realized what Flint was doing before it was too late. Flint's spell crumbled the wall. Malfoy narrowly escaped a chunk of brick.

"_Reducto_!" Flint screeched again. Malfoy ran outside, where there was nothing to cast "Reducto" at. Flint sprinted after him, dodging Malfoy's "Expelliarmus" spells. He stopped suddenly; he had an idea.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" he said, levitating bricks to fling at Malfoy. A part of the rubble was lifted into the air.

Malfoy stood where he was, unsure of what he should do. Should he run, or defend himself? He liked running better, but somehow, he figured he couldn't outrun Flint. He decided to defend.

"_Depulso_!" Flint shouted, shooting the rubble towards Malfoy.

"_Protego_!" Malfoy yelled, shielding his eyes in case his shield charm failed.

The bricks bounced off his shield back towards Flint. He barely had time to react.

"_Diminuendo_!" he said, and the rubble turned into a solid ball the size of a marble, which fell to the ground. Malfoy opened his eyes. He cursed loudly as Flint threw his next rubbish ball at him. He dodged it.

"You'll be beaten any time now, Malfoy!" Flint laughed crazily. Malfoy frowned, sensing something was very wrong. Flint never called him-

He didn't have time to finish his thought. Flint shot an "Expulso" spell at him, which he thankfully dodged.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Malfoy said desperately. It worked.

Flint froze when he saw the spell coming. Why, it was that cursed spell again. It was that imbecile of a boy who petrified him first…

Flint tried to run, but his feet seemed like they were glued to the ground. He tipped over. Of course; the spell had already hit him.

Flint saw Malfoy step towards him, though he looked hesitant to come any closer. In the end, he must have thought that Flint was completely petrified, and he was correct. He walked over and inspected Flint for suspicious possessions.

Malfoy was obviously looking for the cause of Flint's mysterious actions. It sounded like something else that he'd heard of before. He thought about it for a moment.

Then, it hit him- it was a horcrux. Weasley had a fight with Potter because he had a horcrux around his neck. Could someone be channeling their emotions through Flint? There was only one way he could find out, and that was to search for the horcrux.

Malfoy checked Flint's pockets, but there was nothing important there, except a piece of parchment that Flint probably ripped from a book. It explained a hex that could make a person hallucinate, seeing things that weren't even there. Malfoy pocketed it greedily, for it would provide a valuable distraction in a duel.

Malfoy then searched anything that Flint was wearing. Maybe the horcrux was a necklace… perhaps not. Flint wouldn't wear a necklace, even if it cost ten- thousand pounds. Maybe it was… a bracelet! Flint was wearing an odd bracelet on his left wrist.

Malfoy tugged the bracelet off and inspected it closely. The bracelet was a string with jade colored pearls on it. Malfoy looked even closer, and he noticed tiny words. He carefully examined the beads, running his fingers along the snake engravings beside the name, "Salazar Slytherin".

"The only place I can think of that might hold the mirror is the trap door in the third floor corridor," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"You're right," Ron agreed. "I can't think of anywhere else."

"Dumbledore must not have expected us to go back," Harry said. "Maybe that's where the mirror was for the past eight years."

"Oh, and that was a miscalculation on your behalf, Ronald, when you said we haven't been here for two years," Hermione added.

"Yeah, thanks a lot 'Mione, that really made my day," Ron said, his tone hinted with sarcasm. Luke fought not to laugh.

"So should we head to this third floor corridor?" the professor asked. Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded. They headed out of the hospital wing after Harry signed two patients' casts. Ron grumbled something about glory, and Hermione shot him a look, but she knew he was just being silly.

On the way down the Grand Staircase, Luke asked about a million questions, ranging from, " What was the Slytherin house?" and "Were there other houses?" to "What kind of food do they serve in Hogwarts?".

"I suppose we can stop by the kitchen to ask the elves for a few bites," Ron said, smacking his lips.

"Yes, that would be quite nice of…" Layton paused. "Elves take care of the kitchen, you say?"

"Yup!" Harry answered, as if it were all very normal.

"Well, that would be very nice of the elves if they got me a sandwich; I'm hungry," Luke announced.

"Well, why don't go to the kitchen and come back?" Hermione said. "It's around two in the afternoon. Yes, why don't we eat?"

"Good idea," Harry said. "C'mon, Luke, you have to taste their lamb chops-"

The five set off towards the kitchens. They took the Grand Staircase straight down to the entrance of the Great Hall. Everything was fixed since the Battle for Hogwarts, Harry noticed- the old school was as impeccable as it was since he first arrived eight years ago.

"It would please us greatly if you could continue explaining about Hogwarts," Professor Layton said politely. Luke grinned. If anyone who didn't know the professor well heard him say that, they would simply think he was interested. However, Luke knew him long enough to figure out his intuition was kicking in. Of course, as an archeology professor, Hershel Layton would still be interested in Hogwarts and its past.

"Well," Hermione paused to think. "We've told you about the houses and the founders. How about let's tell you the history of Hogwarts itself?"

"That would be very nice," Layton replied.

"Fifty years ago, Salazar Slytherin's monster, the basilisk, killed a student after being summoned by the Heir of Slytherin," Hermione said. "The Heir of Slytherin was the darkest wizard of the twentieth century, Lord Voldemort."

"Lord Voldemort was the guy Harry fought and defeated," Ron cut in. Harry's face turned red. "He fought him throughout his whole life, even when he was a year old, until last year: the Battle for Hogwarts was the Final Battle."

"Anyway," Hermione interrupted Ron's dramatic speech. "Voldemort was known as Tom Marvolo Riddle back then."

"Wait, Tom Riddle turned into Lord Voldemort?" Luke asked. "How'd he get that name?"

"Let's figure it out!" Layton suggested.

"Uh… maybe after we eat a bit," Luke said as they arrived at the kitchen entrance.


End file.
